Friday Nov 28, 2025
Friday Nov 28, 2025
Friday, 28 November 2025 05:27 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Sri Lanka Embassy in Belgium inaugurated the BELGOLUX–Sri Lanka Business Council (BLSBC), a dynamic new platform designed to strengthen trade, investment, and economic cooperation among Sri Lanka, Belgium, and Luxembourg. This milestone event was held on 21 November 2025 at the ‘nhow hotel’ in Brussels with the presence of Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Arun Hemachandra as Chief Guest.
The BLSBC aims to play a role in promoting strategic partnerships, trade development, and sustainable investment, bringing together companies, entrepreneurs, investors, professionals, and institutions across borders. Its mission is to build meaningful bridges between the business communities of the three countries and to facilitate mutually beneficial opportunities.
At the inaugural ceremony, Deputy Minister mentioned, “Sri Lanka is strengthening stability, rebuilding investor confidence, and opening our economy to deeper partnerships with Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union. The BLSBC is a timely step forward in that journey”. He emphasized the importance of the BLSBC as a strategic facilitator and an essential entry point for enhanced European public and private-sector engagement with Sri Lanka.
In his remarks, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Belgium, Luxembourg, and to the European Union, Chandana Weerasena, highlighted Sri Lanka’s current economic landscape and the growing importance of ties with Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union, and positioning the BLSBC as a premier institutional mechanism for advancing commercial cooperation.
The ceremony also featured with remarks by Belgium’s main three regional trade and investment agencies: Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT) Chief Operating Officer Pascal Walrave, Wallonia Export-Investment Agency (AWEX) Area Manager – South Asia and Oceania Evgeniya Ulkina, and International Network for Asia and MENA at the Brussels Agency for Entrepreneurship (Hub.brussels) Head Laurent Verbiest, reflecting broad and unified support and commitment to enhancing trade, investment, innovation and collaborative opportunities between Belgium and Sri Lanka.
The newly appointed BLSBC President and A-Law International Law Firm in Belgium Chief Operating Officer Thomas De Beule, presented the Council’s mission, core objectives and outlined its action plan for the upcoming year. Minister (Commercial) of the Embassy Thavishya Mullegamgoda presented the event overview and the trajectory of the work done by the Embassy and founding members to form the Business Council.
More than 50 distinguished selected guests attended the event, including representatives from EU institutions, the Belgian Government, leading business promotional agencies in Belgium, Business Chambers, and senior decision-makers from companies currently engaged in, or exploring opportunities with, Sri Lanka.
The formal proceedings were followed by a ceremonial cake cutting, walking dinner and a vibrant networking session, providing participants with an opportunity to strengthen connections and explore potential collaborations.
The inauguration marks the official commencement of the BLSBC’s operations and sets the stage for a new chapter of enhanced commercial relations among Sri Lanka, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
