HARSHA EXTENDS INVITATION TO AUSTRALIA TO SURVEY MINERAL RESOURCES
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harsha de Silva invited Australia to establish long-term collaboration in the area of natural resources and assist Sri Lanka with its first ever survey of mineral resources.
The Deputy Minister visited Australia last week on an invitation extended by the Australian Government under their Special Visitor Programme and sought to utilise the expertise of Australia which is one of the world’s leading explorers of minerals and metals, to expand the investment opportunities in the mineral sector of Sri Lanka.
Issuing a statement, the Ministry said the discussions on the mineral industry were among the several agenda items for the Deputy Minister’s visit which sought to develop collaborative and innovative relationships between the two countries. The Deputy Minister was following up on the discussions relating to the visit of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in February 2017.
He held discussions with officials of Geoscience Australia which is the repository of data on Australia’s natural resources. He pointed out that an islandwide survey of Sri Lanka’s mineral resources is a prerequisite for Sri Lanka to utilise the potential of the mineral industry and get investors interested in establishing linkages from Sri Lanka to global production networks. Geoscience Australia responded positively regarding bringing Australia’s experiences and expertise to Sri Lanka and undertaking a needs assessment visit.
During the visit the Deputy Minister had two engagements where he delivered a public seminar titled “Sri Lanka in Transition: Opportunities and Challenges” at the South Asia Research Centre of the Australian National University in Canberra and a round table discussion at Asialink, Melbourne University with academics, INGOS, and the business community.
The Deputy Minister was accompanied by High Commissioner Somasundaram Sakandakumar and Consuls General in Sydney and Melbourne, Lal Wickrematunga and Prasanna Gamage to the meetings.