SAARC CCI felicitates SL President elect

President SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) Ruwan Edirisinghe Monday congratulating Gotabaya Rajapaksa for winning the Sri Lankan presidential polls expressed hope that President-elect Gotabaya can play greater role to strengthen SAARC by promoting regional trade.

In messages received here today from SAARC CCI, both President Ruwan and Senior Vice President Iftikhar Ali Malik were of the view that Sri Lanka's support for boosting trade, investment and business among SAARC member countries was of key importance.

Ruwan Edirisinghe said South Asia has tremendous trade potential, which needed to be tapped with a shared vision of 2030 envisaged to address core trade issues. He also said the biggest economies for the next two decades are supposed to be from Asia, which is a vital opportunity for South Asian countries.

He said South Asia comprises three percent of the world's area, 21 per cent of the world's population and 3.8% (US$ 2.9 trillion) of the global economy.

He said about 55 per cent of the total potential for intra-regional trade in South Asia has not been fully exploited yet and this can be improved through shared vision about objectives, transfer of technology and exchange of research and development.

Iftikhar Ali Malik also congratulating Sri Lankan President elect Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that we need to work collectively for our economic development and private sector can play a major role in enhancing regional integration in this regard. " Regional integration will help in dealing with issues like poverty, illiteracy and gender inequality," he added. He stressed that all countries would have to autonomously develop an agenda for South Asian cooperation, driven broadly by economic concerns where advantages of economic relations should be focused.

Iftikhar Ali Malik also lauded Prime Minister Imran Khan's initiative for opening Kartarpur which would help India and Pakistan to bring closer to each other. He said Pakistan is committed to carry out its six points agenda of SAARC CCI for an integrated, progressive and prosperous South Asia.