Ambassador Grace Asirwatham visited the commercial centre of Belgium, the Province of Antwerp and met with the Governor of Antwerp Province Cathy Berx, the Managing Director of the Antwerp Port Training Centre (APEC) Kristof Waterschoot and Mayor of Antwerp City Bart De Wever.
During the cordial discussions, Governor of Antwerp Province noted many Sri Lankans, who live there and contribute to its economic development. As Antwerp is the centre of the world diamond trade, the Governor also noted the significant contribution of Sri Lankan companies in adding value through gem crafting expertise. She also noted the opportunities for investment from Belgium particularly in the pharmaceutical sector, waste disposal, recycling and clean energy sector. The Port of Antwerp is the second largest port in Europe and the second largest port in the world for petrochemicals. During the meeting with the Managing Director of the Port Training Centre (APEC), opportunities for training for Sri Lankan port officials in various sectors of Port management and development were discussed.
Ambassador Asirwatham met with the Mayor of Antwerp Bart De Wever and discussed possibilities for cooperation between the City of Colombo and the City of Antwerp including a visit by the Mayor of Antwerp to Sri Lanka in the near future.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Brussels
08 November 2019
