Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Azmi Thassim and the Embassy officials held a roundtable discussion with the members of the ‘Saudi-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Association’ of the Shura Council, last week. Shura Council is the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia. The ‘Saudi-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Association’ is a conclave of 14 members, including 04 female councillors.
While opening the roundtable discussion, President of the Saudi-Sri Lanka Friendship association Prof. Abdullah Alharby recalled the historical ties that Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka share trade, cultural and religious spheres. He said that Sri Lankan workers have supported to bring Saudi Arabia to this state and that its economy is depending on their energy and efforts. He emphasized that Saudi Arabia wants to further bolster the relationship in cultural, educational, political and economic spheres.
Ambassador Thassim thanked the Association members for taking part in the discussion and echoing views expressed by Prof. Alharby said that Sri Lanka, too, has same aims in expanding the Saudi-Sri Lanka ties.
At the exchange of views, the members posed questions and discussed on various topics including political climate, business, finance and agriculture sector, media, youth population and tourism in Sri Lanka.
Ambassador Thassim, while underlining that a visit of a Shura Council delegation has not taken place for the past 16 years, invited the members to visit Sri Lanka in 2019, which is also the year that marks 45 years of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka.
Ambassador Thassim was associated with Minister Councellor Madhuka Wickramarachchi and Desk Officer/ Bilateral Affairs, A.L.M Jabeer at this discussion.
