Friday, 19th September 2014
The visits this week by President Xi Jinping of China and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan clearly demonstrate Sri Lanka's importance in terms of modern global trends, Minister of External Affairs Professor G.L. Peiris told the Daily News.
He referred to the Japanese Prime Minister's emphasis on Sri Lanka and Japan as maritime nations, and to the importance attached by President Xi Jinping to the concept of the Maritime Silk Route, as applied to the contemporary world.
The Minister said that Sri Lanka is greatly encouraged by the recognition that the eradication of terrorism and the achievement of stability in Sri Lanka has been of immense benefit to the entire region. If the conditions of turbulence around the Horn of Africa were to exist in the Indian Ocean, the disruption of major shipping lanes carrying supplies of oil, vital to the economy of many nations, would have brought about grave consequences which would have been felt far beyond our own country, the Minister said.
Sri Lanka's authority in respect of a swath of the ocean, amounting to 17 times its land mass, and the fact that crucial sea lanes linking China, Japan and Singapore with the Middle East and Europe, are within 20 nautical miles of Sri Lanka's southern coast, underline the significance of Sri Lanka's economic development and wellbeing, from the perspective of regional security, he added.
The large number of projects for which assistance has been pledged by the visiting leaders, and the firm assurance of continuing support, in terms of investment as well as direct aid, result in a strong impetus for the country's economic development, he added.
Prof. Peiris made particular mention of the negotiations relating to a Free Trade Agreement, which got under way while the President of China was in Sri Lanka.
The expectation, he said, is that this agreement, enabling Sri Lanka's exports to reach the vast markets of China on very advantageous terms, would be concluded before the end of the year.
He also drew attention to the statement by the President of China welcoming Sri Lanka as a Founder Member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
The focus on the ocean, and Sri Lanka's contribution to maintaining security by effectively dealing with disruptive activity, represented a central theme of the high level discussions in Colombo, he said. The scientific exploitation of marine resources, oceanography research of value in practical terms in the context of disaster management and the fullest use of the blue economy, not confined to fisheries, are acknowledged as essential for the prosperity of the region, he said. The development of ports and harbours as a fillip to commerce was highlighted, he observed. China's initiative in the Port City Development Project on land reclaimed from the sea was described by Prof. Peiris as a landmark development in this regard.
The presence of high profile leaders will have a beneficial effect on tourism, he said. Connectivity is an important consideration, and Japan's assistance with regard to the expansion of Katunayake airport, and China's pivotal role in respect of Hambantota port and Mattala airport are exceedingly timely, he observed. The Minister noted the robust assistance pledged for human resource development in Sri Lanka, with emphasis on exposure of youth to modern scientific knowledge in medical sciences, engineering, shipping and information technology.
Intra-regional trade and the strengthening of mechanisms to increase volumes of commercial activity is a clear priority, and Sri Lanka will focus on this at the upcoming Summit of the leaders of SAARC countries in Kathmandu, Nepal, in November, he added.
Prof. Peiris welcomed the initiative by the Ministry of Defence to convene in Colombo, also in November, a meeting which will bring together the defence authorities of SAARC and ASEAN nations, in order to explore modalities for addressing more effectively defence co-operation throughout South and South East Asia.
"These are all developments, with which Sri Lanka is centrally associated, and they are likely to attract considerable focus in many of the discussions which will take place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly Debate which begins in New York next week," he commented.
