Increase in trade with Latvia

Shirajiv SIRIMANE

Trade between Sri Lanka and Latvia is on the rise and there is more room for expansion, Consul General for Latvia in Sri Lanka Thomas Daetwyler said.

Speaking to Daily News Business at the recently concluded Latvia National Day celebrations he said that there is a 35 percent increase in trade in recent times.

The main commodities exported from Sri Lanka include tea and apparels while imports include mainly electronics.

“With rapid development taking place in Sri Lanka many Latvian investors are keen to invest. He said tourist arrivals from Latvia too is increasing and Latvian nationals are high spenders who like to patronage the beach. They are long stayers as well,” he added. He was however disappointed that there were no direct flights to Latvia and said that this is an area that needs attention.

“The relationship and trade between Sri Lanka and our country has significantly developed over the last years and we are further aiming to strengthen the ties between our two countries,” he added.

“We are facing today a radically new and unprecedented situation which demands political wisdom and a responsible approach towards work. We are living in an age of confusion in the global economy, and there are increasing convincing signs of a new wave of the crisis.

We must learn from past mistakes that the crisis does not reoccur,” he said.

“By acceding to international declarations such as the Millennium Development Declaration and the Cairo Declaration, Latvia has demonstrated its readiness to become actively involved in the resolution of global problems, eliminating poverty, strengthening democracy, limiting the spread of disease, ensuring sustainable environmental development and promoting gender equality and the universal availability of education,” he said.