Wednesday, 13 November 2013 00:00
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Partnering for wealth creation and social development: The Commonwealth, Indian Ocean and SAARC
By Cheranka Mendis and Shabiya Ali Ahlam
Creating a platform to invest, conduct enterprise and bring the world closer, the largest business event in the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth Business Forum kicked off yesterday at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo, inaugurated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The three-day forum is a platform for business leaders and heads of government to interact, share common interests and build strategies while giving an opportunity to the host country, Sri Lanka, to showcase the nation’s business community to the world.
The event focused on key issues that affect the member countries as well as the world while identifying investment opportunities in Sri Lanka and the Commonwealth. Some of the key points discussed were the achieving of wealth creation with equity and inclusive development, investment opportunities in the area, especially in the fast-developing South East Asian regions, issues of growing and strengthening the Asia-Africa relationship, assistance in exploring new partnerships, entrepreneurship, and enhancing the value chain, among others.
Some 1,450 delegates from 95 countries attended the forum, of which a large number were from non-Commonwealth countries.
