Boosting Sri Lanka-Vietnam trade ties
The Vietnam-Sri Lanka Business Cooperation Council made its debut on October 19 in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo, aiming to boost bilateral trade, investment and tourism cooperation.
Addressing the opening ceremony, the President of Sri Lanka’s National Chamber of Commerce, Asoka Hettigoda, emphasized that as a branch of the chamber, the council aims to expanding the relationship between Vietnam and Sri Lanka, as well as economic cooperation, by bringing the business communities of both countries closer together.
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He underlined that since the 17 major Sri Lankan businesses visited Vietnam last year, several of them have established a business relationship with Vietnamese partners and have already become members of the council.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ton Sinh Thanh applauded the inception of the council, describing it as an important event which will herald in new developments in bilateral trade, investment and tourism cooperation.
He praised the efforts made by the business communities from both countries, especially Sri Lanka’s National Chamber of Commerce, which has contributed significantly to increasing two-way trade in recent years. Last year, bilateral trade reached US$113.2 million and is estimated to rise to US$150 million this year.
Thanh said that he hopes that the council will promote its role and exploit the potential of each country, strengthening cooperation between the two businesses circles.
He stated that the Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka will support and create the best possible conditions for Sri Lankan businesses to seek out opportunities in Vietnam.