Belgium’s Flemish heartland looking for more trade with SL

• Bilateral trade tops $ 1B
• Strong biz delegation from Flanders due in May 2013

Flanders, the industrious Belgium province renowned for its logistics hub Antwerp, wants to enhance trade and manufacturing cooperation with Sri Lanka significantly.

Kris Peeters, Minister President of Flanders Region, Belgium, revealed this to visiting Sri Lankan Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen on 20 December when Minister Bathiudeen met Peeters in Brussels.

Minister Bathiudeen was on an official visit to Belgium when he toured Flanders on 20 December, the industry-cum-logistics centre of Northern Belgium which hosts the Port of Antwerp, the second largest seaport in Europe, and also Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Flanders is also well known globally for its tapestries and carpets tradition. 

Bathiudeen briefed Peeters and his senior officials on the developments in Sri Lanka after the end of conflict in 2009, stressing that cordial trade and economic relations between the two countries have been instrumental in attracting many Belgium investors to Sri Lanka since the 1970s.

Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen with Kris Peeters, Minister President of Flanders Region, Belgium

Bilateral trade, which stood at $ 501 m in 2005, has almost reached $ 1 billion in 2011, depicting 100% growth. Today Belgium has become the fourth largest export destination for Sri Lanka’s products.

Minister Bathiudeen also mentioned the many promotional activities undertaken by the Sri Lanka Embassy in Brussels under the patronage of his Ministry  during the last two years, which include a visit of 50 Belgium trade business representatives from 40 companies to Sri Lanka in November 2010 for the Belgium business week organised in Colombo, the visit of the business delegation from Sri Lanka to Belgium under his leadership in November 2011, the visit of 29 business representatives of Belgium to Sri Lanka for export 2012 held in March 2012, and the participation of 40 Belgium companies in the interactive business seminar organised by the Commercial Section of the Embassy in Brussels on 21 November 2012 in collaboration with Brussels Enterprise, Commerce and Industry (BECI).

The Minister further stated that a Business Roundtable Meeting was scheduled to be held with his participation on 21 December 2012 at the headquarters of Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT).

Minister Bathiudeen also invited Minister President Peeters to lead the trade mission to Sri Lanka scheduled to be undertaken by Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT) from 27 May to 5 June 2013.

Peeters, welcoming the Minster and appreciating positive trends of the trade and economic relations between the two countries, stated that his region accounts for 70 per cent of Belgium GDP and 80% its exports to the world. He also mentions that his region accounts for 97% of the trade between Belgium and Sri Lanka. The Flanders region also attracts a large majority of foreign investments to Belgium.

While presenting a copy of the White Paper on Flanders Region Industries to the Minister, the Minister President stated that innovation and value-added industry were key areas on which his region has placed priority.

The major port of Antwerp in the region is progressing in becoming the major hub of sea operations in Europe. The Minister President stated the possibility of offering scholarships for training facilities for port management to Sri Lanka by Antwerp/Flanders Port Training Centre (APEC). Such an engagement will bring a win-win situation for the trade and economic relations between the two countries.

He further said that he and his officials were ready to facilitate the efforts in furthering trade and economic relations with Sri Lanka.

P.M. Amza, Ambassador for EU, Belgium and Luxemburg, and R.D.S. Kumararatne, Minister (Commercial and Economic Affairs), also joined the meeting.