SL attractive destination for trade, investment - Basil

Sri Lanka has become an attractive destination for trade, investment and tourism in the world due to its strategic location in the centre of international sea and air routes, Senior Adviser to the President and Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa said.

During discussions with Under Secretary of State for Oriental Policy of Poland Jerzy Pomianowski at the Economic Development Ministry yesterday, Minister Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka has peace and political stability now.

“There is easy access to Middle East, Europe and other countries through Sri Lanka. The country has free trade agreements with India, Pakistan and all South Asian countries. Therefore, international traders and investors have taken a keen interest in investing and developing trade relation with Sri Lanka,” he said.

Pomianowski said the economy of Poland is high and is the sixth largest in the EU and one of the fastest growing economies in Europe. The Polish economic growth rate was one of the best results in Europe. Poland pursued a policy of economic liberalisation since 1990 and today stands out as a success story among transition economies.

It is the only country in the European Union to avoid a recession through the 2008-09 economic downturns, he said. He said he started his Foreign Service career first in Sri Lanka as a UNESCO official and participated in research projects in the Mahawali area.

Pomianowski said Poland is a part of the global tourism market with constantly increasing number of visitors, particularly after joining the European Union.

“Polish tourists are interested in visiting attractive destinations like Sri Lanka,” he said.

Both parties agreed to exchange trade and investment delegation to revive the bilateral relations and review the progress of the new projects between the two countries. Responding to a question by the Polish Under Secretary, Minister Rajapaksa said the majority of the Tamil diaspora gradually understand the real situation of Sri Lanka and they are happy with the outcome of the resettlement and reconstruction work and peace building efforts of the government.

Most Tamil expatriates are visiting Sri Lanka, helping their families and relatives and buying real estates in Sri Lanka. But some members of the Diaspora are still against Sri Lanka, the minister said.

The minister and the Under Secretary agreed to have separate arrangements to promote Sri Lankan interests in Poland during the Warsaw Fair 2012.