A Sri Lankan delegation led by Deputy Minister of External Affairs Neomal Perera has arrived in the Belarus capital of Minsk to enhance bilateral relations, especially in trade, tourism and investments.
The Sri Lankan delegation is in Minsk to explore prospects of implementing joint projects between the two countries and new markets for Sri Lankan products and seek investment opportunities.
The delegation met with the representatives of Belarusian business circles Wednesday in the Minsk branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for discussions, Belarus media reports said.
During the discussion Deputy Minister Perera has noted that Sri Lanka, being an industrial and agricultural country, is interested in buying special vehicles made in Belarus. “We are interested in buying Belarusian agricultural machines, trucks, tractors and various industrial instruments, which may be imported to Sri Lanka and even assembled for export to other countries,” the Deputy Minister has pointed out.
He has asked the Belarusian business officials to take advantage of Sri Lanka’s free trade agreements with a large number of countries and consider Sri Lanka as a platform to promote trade to other countries in the region.
“Belarus can use this advantage and consider us as a consequent destination for exporting merchandise to other South Asia countries,” Perera has remarked.
He has told the Belarusian delegation that Sri Lankan businessmen are interested in cooperation and are ready to invest in the Belarus economy.
During the visit to Minsk, the Minister plans to sign several agreements to further advance and boost cooperation between business circles of the two countries.
As a measure to enhance bilateral ties, President Mahinda Rajapaksa is scheduled to visit Belarus in late August.
Bilateral trade between Belarus and Sri Lanka in 2012 totalled US$ 42.6 million while Sri Lanka’s exports to Belarus only amounted to US$ 9.1 million.
Sri Lanka’s major export to Belarus is tea, amounting to 82.6% of the total exports. Gloves, tyres and raw tobacco are other exports. A major portion (99.8%) of Sri Lanka’s imports from Belarus is potash fertilisers.
The Sri Lankan delegation will be in Minsk until 18 May. The delegation is planning to visit a number of leading Belarusian enterprises and hold negotiations with Belarusian Government ministries.
12:10 am May 17, 2013
Source: DailyFT
