Direct air and shipping links between Italy and Sri Lanka
The Morning: New Italian Ambassador Damiano Francovigh has expressed his consent to Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena’s request to look into matters urgently to introduce Colombo as a direct air and shipping destination with the aim of developing tourism between Italy and Sri Lanka.
A meeting between Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Italian Ambassador Damiano Francovigh had taken place on 27 November at the Prime Minister’s Office in Parliament, the Prime Minister’s Media Division stated.
Discussions were held regarding further strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries.
In response to the Prime Minister’s request, the Ambassador said that a delegation of the Italian Trade Agencies will be sent for a discussion with the private sector of Sri Lanka in order to establish trade relationships between Sri Lanka and Italy, it added.
The Prime Minister pointed out the delays in the issuance of visas in the Italian Embassy in Sri Lanka and the new Italian Ambassador said that his attention has already been focused on it, and he said that the delay will be minimized in the next few weeks.
The Secretary to the Prime Minister Anura Dissanayake and the Italian Deputy Ambassador joined the discussion, according to the Prime Minister’s Media Division.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka is in the process of reviewing and revamping the country’s existing trade ties while exploring new trade ties with more foreign nations. It is in such a backdrop that Sri Lanka is looking at further strengthening air and shipping links between Sri Lanka and Italy. While Sri Lanka already enjoys the EU’s GSP Plus trade concessions that have boosted the island’s export sector, Sri Lanka is looking at further enhancing trade, business and tourism ties between the two countries. With Sri Lanka working towards becoming an emerging business destination in the South Asian region, the country has presented a host of new business/investment opportunities. These opportunities have been further boosted by Sri Lanka’s geographical positioning in the Indian Ocean and the many trade agreements as well as trade concessions enjoyed with other countries. Also, Sri Lanka’s growing tourism industry has presented new business opportunities. Given Sri Lanka’s growing business potential, Italian businesses/investors could confidently explore the expanding opportunities in the country.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20231201/Z_8 |