Pres. invites German investors to capitalise on increasing economic opportunities in SL

German Chancellor Angela Merkel looks as President Maithripala Sirisena address a news conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany yesterday - Pic by REUTERS

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday urged German investors to take advantage of increasing economic opportunities in Sri Lanka.

“We invite more German investors to take advantage of the increasing economic opportunities in Sri Lanka,” stated President Maithripala Sirisena delivering a statement to the media after official talks with the Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel, in Berlin.

Our Government is committed to look for new opportunities to diversify the long –standing partnership into new areas of cooperation, he further said.

A high level trade and investment delegation is accompanying me on this visit. We will participate in a special forum organised to create awareness on Sri Lanka’s economic prospects and potential. Our business delegates will interact with German investors and identify opportunities for joint ventures, he added.

Full text of the Media Statement:I have just concluded a very fruitful and indeed productive meeting with Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel. Sri Lanka and Germany have shared close and cordial relations over many years. I wish to thank the Chancellor for the invitation to visit Germany and it gives me great pleasure to be here and discuss ways and means of further strengthening our bilateral relations.

Sri Lanka and German relations go back to nearly two centuries. Buddhism in Germany has  a history of over 150 years. Venerable Nayanatiloka was the first Buddhist monk from Germany to take up residence in Sri Lanka . His example was soon followed by other European monks who made immense contributions to the spreading of Theravada Buddhism.

Our discussions with Federal Chancellor covered German development assistance to Sri Lanka. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the German Government for the development assistance generously provided to us for more than five decades now. And I request that this assistance will be continued in future as well. Our Government is committed to look for new opportunities to diversify the long –standing partnership into new areas of cooperation.

The contribution made by Germany in skills development through the establishment of Technical and Vocational Training Institutes in Sri Lanka stand out as an excellent model of cooperation. We are very grateful to the government and the people of Germany.

We invite more German investors to take advantage of the increasing economic opportunities in Sri Lanka. A high level trade and investment delegation is accompanying me on this visit. We will participate in a special forum organized to create awareness on Sri Lanka’s economic prospects and potential. Our business delegates will interact with German investors and identify opportunities for joint ventures.

In addition to Small and Medium Enterprises our enhanced cooperation will cover a broad area of bilateral cooperation which includes areas of Science and Technology, Sustainable Development in the Energy Sector and Higher Education.

During my visit I will also meet with the Federal President, His Excellency Joachim Gauck.

It is my first conviction that my discussions with him and other senior officials of the German Government would help our two countries to identify shared opportunities in both bilateral and multilateral relations and identify and promote our specific priorities and potentials.