Publicat pe 17/07/2024

Bucharest, July 17, 2024: The President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CCIR), Mr. Mihai Daraban, had, on July 17 this year, an official meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Mr. Ali Sabry, meeting organized on the sidelines of the official visit to Romania of Srilanka government representatives.

Referring to the dynamism of commercial relations with Sri Lanka, the president of CCIR, Mr. Mihai Daraban, appreciates the fact that “the geographical position of the two states determines the essential character of cooperation in the naval field. Sri Lanka is a hub for maritime trade in the South Asian region, 75% of the Colombo port’s activity being represented by trans-shipping. At the same time, Romania, through the Constanța Port, the only remaining functional one on the Black Sea, is the entry gate for goods to Central and Western Europe. It is worth noting that, at the moment, more than 170 Sri Lankan companies are present in our country, which we consider the true ambassadors of this state in Romania, which, together with the domestic business environment, can bring added value to the economies of the two states”.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Mr. Ali Sabry, supports the fact that Romania, through its openness to the Black Sea, but also through the fact that it is a member of the European Union (EU), represents a major interest for the economic development of the Asian state. “Today, relations between the EU and Sri Lanka are governed by a Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development, which entered into force in April 1995. The EU thus became Sri Lanka’s second trading partner after China and its second main destination of export, absorbing 22.4% of exports from Sri Lanka in 2020. During today’s meeting, together with the CCIR management, we managed to identify real business development opportunities for Romanian and Sri Lankan entrepreneurs. For us, the connection we have established with CCIR, the most important promotion vector of the business environment in Romania, is essential”, said Mr. Ali Sabri.