Sri Lanka open for investors from all Asian countries: Malik
Balancing diplomatic relations and being open to all countries for investment has been a key achievement of the current government, remarked Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama at a forum in Colombo yesterday.
“It is easy to disregard how important this is. It’s not something the Sri Lankan private sector can see and touch. It’s not visible like infrastructure and you can’t put it on a billboard, but it has big implications for our national interests and our economic stability,” he remarked.
Samarawickrama made these remarks at a meeting of diplomats from Asian countries and the Sri Lankan corporate sector, organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
“When our government was elected in 2015, Sri Lanka had difficult relationships with many countries. Our foreign policy was skewed. Some relationships we had strained, and others neglected. It was important for our country that we balance our relationships well; that we renew old ties and pursue new partnerships. And this is what we have managed to do over the past three years”.
Samarawickrama went on to set out three key reasons why Asian investors would find Sri Lanka a compelling destination for business i.e. the new untapped opportunities available; Sri Lanka’s friendly ties with all Asian countries and the openness to partner with all of them without preference; and the country being an ideal springboard to the growing markets of South Asia and Africa given our unique location placed in the Indian Ocean and on the Western edge of Asia.