Indonesia to invest in Colombo Financial City
INDONESIA’S Vice Foreign Minister AM Fachir says he would not rule out investments from businessmen of his country in the Colombo Financial City, being built with Chinese assistance.
Asked by the SundayIsland in Jakarta last week, if China’s invitation to the international community to take advantage of the business opportunities that would arise once construction of the Financial City, earlier referred to as the Colombo Port City, was completed, the Vice Minister asked, “why not?”
“Investors make informed decisions and would not hesitate to tap the potential that Sri Lanka had on offer he added when told that China had extended an invitation to Indian entrepreneurs too to participate in the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government’s
Program.
Fachir revealed that Indonesia would seek foreign expertise to develop its own growing number of ports.
Asked if he had any specific country in mind, he said that they would accept assistance from any nation that had the knowhow.
The Vice Minister agreed that China had expertise in port development, but said that as companies from many countries were involved in Indonesia’s infrastructure development, all choices would be explored.
Responding to a question , he stressed that the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) was relevant in the current global context despite the super powers
shuffling their alliances and new friendships being forged.
“NAM is the mandate of our founding fathers for independ- “Vision 2025” ence and a world order based on freedom, development and global peace,” Fachir said.
He pointed out that both Indonesia and Sri Lanka were members of NAM which was a political movement that could correct imbalance and injustices.
Capacity building and solidarity was important, the Vice Minister emphasized.
“The cold war may be over, but we still see injustice and inequality in the world.”
Outlining Indonesia’s four priorities in diplomacy, he explained that they were border diplomacy , economic diplomacy, protecting its natural resources and contributing to the well being of the global community.
Founded in 1961 in Yugoslavia, NAM comprises 120 members and 17 countries with observer status.