Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera met German Foreign Minister Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier this morning, 22 May 2015 at the German Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. Following the bilateral meeting, Foreign Minister Samaraweera addressed the media.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Colombo
22 May 2015
Remarks to the Media by Mangala Samaraweera, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Berlin: 22 May 2015
It is a great pleasure to be here this morning at the invitation of my colleague, Federal Foreign Minister Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
I thank him and his staff for the extremely warm welcome and reception since I arrived in Berlin. I have been overwhelmed by the friendship and enormous goodwill.
I am grateful to Dr. Steinmeier for the invitation he extended to me when I met him in Geneva in early March and it is wonderful to be here with him today and to have discussed important aspects of the relationship between Sri Lanka and Germany and its future trajectory.
The affinity and partnership between the people of our two countries is something that I have always admired. I am glad that new opportunities have opened up now as a result of the changes that are taking place in Sri Lanka, to renew our political, economic and cultural ties.
We talked today about the progress that Sri Lanka has made since the Presidential election on the 8th of January. Steps taken to restore democracy, strengthen institutions, legislative reform, transfer of some of the powers of the Executive Presidency to the Parliament, strengthening rule of law, creating more accountable governance, combating corruption and taking necessary measures for meaningful reconciliation aimed at achieving enduring peace and prosperity for all Sri Lankans.
We also discussed the new Government’s approach of engaging with the international community including international organizations, the challenges that lie ahead and the ways in which Germany and Sri Lanka can renew cooperation as a result of the developments in Sri Lanka.
Germany and Sri Lanka have had diplomatic relations for 62 years.
Germany has stood by Sri Lanka throughout and assisted our people in many different ways.
The German Technical Training Institute that was originally established in 1959 for example, is a household name in Sri Lanka. The establishment of a new technical training institute in Kilinochchi, in the former conflict affected northern province, is an invaluable contribution to Sri Lanka for which we are extremely grateful.
I am happy that we are able to now intensify cooperation between Sri Lanka and Germany that will help cement our strong ties further.
Sri Lanka has long been a paradise for German tourists, and we want to make every effort to now make Sri Lanka a paradise for German investors.
With relatively well developed infrastructure and human capital, our immediate priority is to reset the investment climate by making Sri Lanka a secure, efficient and competitive investment destination in South Asia.
We have re-established the independence of the judiciary and we are in the process of creating a rule based system where all companies will enjoy a level-playing field.
We are making our economy more efficient through smarter regulations. Efficiency will also be improved through the reviving of a "one stop investment shop".
Sri Lanka is also a gateway to India and Pakistan, especially through the Free Trade Agreements we have with these countries. Sri Lanka is also a gateway to the broader Indian Ocean region.
Germany is an important trading partner for Sri Lanka and we want to see trade between our countries expand further.
Over 100,000 German tourists visited us last year. As we embrace the world again we hope this number will increase. But we are also putting things right at home. Sri Lanka climbed 11 places on the Tourism Competitiveness Index this year and we hope to build on that success in the coming years.
Through the twinning of Sri Lankan and German cities, we hope to expand people-to-people contact that will help expand our already multi-faceted relationship.
Civil society-led initiatives by German citizens in my country have made important contributions and strengthened bonds between our people. This is something we welcome and wish to see grow even further in future.
In particular, we look forward to the exchange of knowledge, and sharing of best practices and experiences in all areas of public life including governance, economic development, technology and education.
I am happy to be here to renew our partnership and the friendship between the people of our two countries.
I invite Foreign Minister Steinmeier to visit Sri Lanka at an early opportunity to ensure that we intensify the momentum of our already growing multi-faceted relationship.
