Colombo, 13 June 2023 (TDI): Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tharaka Balasuriya embarked on an official visit to Poland, Romania, and Georgia from June 13 – 20, 2023, for Bilateral Political Consultations and a Business Forum.
The Foreign Minister will lead a delegation to Georgia and Poland to conduct political consultations to review bilateral relations with the two countries in the fields of investment, trade, employment, IT, education, tourism, culture and sports while unveiling several new arenas of cooperation to strengthen existing partnerships.
Improvement of employment opportunities for Sri Lankans will be the focus of the delegation directed at Romania.
Apart from political consultations and business meetings, the Foreign Minister will also see relevant high officials to further deepen bilateral relations of Sri Lanka with these countries.
Sri Lanka-Georgia Bilateral Relations
Sri Lanka extended recognition to Georgia in 1992 and established diplomatic ties in 1998. In August 2016, the first session of political consultation in Colombo was preceded by an MoU for political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka and Georgia.
Both have developed relations in several areas of mutual interest. Furthermore, the trade between the two states includes frozen fish, tea, Ceylon cinnamon, desiccated coconut and activated carbon.
Sri Lanka-Poland Relations
The two countries established ties in 1957. Being one of the wealthiest economies in Central and Eastern Europe, Poland is a major export market for Sri Lanka.
Besides establishing trade linkages, they have extended their partnership in the business sector to improve joint ventures and business sales leads.
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Moreover, during the political consultations in 2019, the relations between the two countries expanded to new areas, including green technology, tourism, the defence sector and maritime.
Sri Lanka-Romania Ties
The two countries developed relations in 1957. In recent years, both have strengthened ties in several areas, including power and energy, waste and water management, and anti-corruption expertise, among others.
Trade between them had been scaling up with every passing year until 2020, when Sri Lanka temporarily suspended imports because of a trade deficit.
Trade goods exchanged between the two include animal products, cereals, fabrics, textiles, and vegetable products, among others.
A visit by the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister to these countries is a crucial event for Sri Lanka amid times of economic turmoil and instability. It is hoped that it will foster ties with these states, particularly in the trade sector, which will be critical for returning Sri Lanka’s economy to health.
