Sri Lanka and Jordan strengthen bilateral ties
The Morning: Irbid Chamber of Commerce Chairperson Mohammad Shoha and Sri Lankan Ambassador Priyangika Wijegunasekera on 7 October discussed prospects of enhancing trade and investment cooperation between Jordan and Sri Lanka.
During their meeting, Shoha emphasised the importance of boosting trade ties, particularly in agriculture and commerce, and called for exploring new investment opportunities that benefit both countries.
He highlighted the private sector’s involvement in advancing bilateral trade, tourism and investment cooperation, suggesting organising joint exhibitions and visits by economic delegations to further these goals.
The Irbid Chamber is committed to supporting import and export operations and the flow of goods and services between the two nations, Shoha pledged, stressing the potential for increased trade in agricultural, industrial, and handicraft products to introduce Jordanian goods to the Sri Lankan market.
Wijegunasekera expressed Sri Lanka’s commitment to expanding economic cooperation with Jordan, noting Sri Lanka’s economic resources and potential.
She noted that about 10,500 Sri Lankan workers are currently employed in Jordan, primarily in the textile, knitting and domestic sectors.
In 2023, Sri Lanka’s exports to Jordan were at $ 88 million and imports from Jordan stood at $ 1.98 million.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka, which is currently experiencing economic expansion, is focused on attracting foreign businesses/investors to the country as part of its programme to become a hub in the South Asian region. There has been much focus placed on further strengthening Sri Lanka’s bilateral and trade ties with countries in the Asian and African regions. It is in such a background that Sri Lanka has turned towards building on the ties with Jordan in the Middle East. Sri Lanka already records an increasing export volume to countries in the Middle East while also engaging in promotional programmes to attract Middle Eastern, in this case Jordanian, businesses/investors to explore the expanding business/investment opportunities in the country. Sri Lanka’s geographical positioning in the Indian Ocean, the strong trade ties and the target of achieving hub status in the Indian Ocean region have all resulted in the continued expansion of the country’s overall economy and the growth in business/investment opportunities. Given the interest shown by Jordan in further strengthening ties and exploring the expanding opportunities in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan businesses could also reach out to Jordanian businesses to form partnerships or joint ventures in order to further expand operations.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20241011/Z_1 |