Mangala promotes greater economic cooperation with Korea

 Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera with the heads of delegation at the inauguration of the Second Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the AIIB in Jeju on 16 June.  Also present are the Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in, AIIB President Jin Liqun and Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance and AIIB Meeting Board of Governors Chair Kim Dong-yeon

Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera met with the newly-appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance of the Republic of Korea Kim Dong-yeon on the sidelines of the Second Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) held in Jejuon 16-17 June.

During the meeting, the two Ministers discussed issues of mutual interest, and looked forward to the expansion of economic cooperation between the two countries as well as investment opportunities for Korean companies in Sri Lanka.  The discussion also focused on EDCF cooperation extended under the Korea EXIM Bank and the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the Republic of Korea which is celebrated this year.  

Minister Samaraweera, who led Sri Lanka’s delegation to the AIIB Second Annual Meeting hosted by the Korean Government, addressed the Round Table Discussion on Financing and Asia’s Infrastructure Priorities on 17 June. The inauguration of the Second Annual Meeting was attended by the President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in, among other dignitaries.

On the sidelines of the AIIB Annual Meeting, the Minster also held bilateral meetings with the Minister of Finance of India Arun Jaitley and the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia Sri Mulyani Indrawati where issues of mutual interest were discussed. 

Minister Samarasinghe was accompanied on the visit by Deputy Treasury Secretary Chandra Ekanayake, Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs Secretary M.I.M. Rafeek, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Manisha Gunasekera and Department of External Resources Director General Priyantha Ratnayake.