12 th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka – Greater Mekong Business Council
The 12 th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka – Greater Mekong Business Council was held at the Hilton Colombo Residences on 17 th October 2023.
The event was graced by His Excellency Han Thu Ambassador of Myanmar, Mr. Tran Trong Thanh, Counsellor & Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Vietnam, and Mr. K. J Weerasinghe, Chief Negotiator of the International Trade Office. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Thanh encouraged Sri Lankan companies to take advantage of the growing opportunities in Vietnam in sectors such as trade, investment, and tourism, to expand their businesses and develop bilateral trade and relations. He highlighted that being tropical countries with similar biological systems and agricultural products, Vietnam is keen to engage in knowledge exchange with Sri Lanka, particularly focusing on modern farming techniques and food processing. Mr. K. J. Weerasinghe, Chief Negotiator of the International Trade Office, provided in-depth insights on the Thailand Sri Lanka FTA followed by an interactive Q&A session that centered around the Government's emphasis on international trade agreements in line with its vision for economic growth. The discussion also delved into strategies for market and product diversification. Additionally, Mr. Weerasinghe offered a brief update on the current status of negotiations with various countries, such as Thailand, Singapore, China, and India. An overview of the Tariff Liberalization Program was also presented as an integral component of these trade agreements.
Mr. S.M.D. Suriyakumara, Chief Executive Officer of Maliban Biscuit Manufactories (Pvt) Ltd, was re-elected as the President for the year 2023-2024 by the Members. In his address, he acknowledged the strong bond between Sri Lanka and Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar, characterized by close political and trade relations, and committed to pursuing opportunities for trade and investment with Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, with renewed vigour.
