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SRI LANKAN FOREIGN MINISTER HAILS GROWING TRADE AND ECONOMIC TIES WITH ASEAN

By Manik Mehta Bernama - Monday, May 12

New York, May 11 (Bernama) -- Sri Lanka’s foreign minister hailed his country’s growing trade and economic ties with the ASEAN group, including Malaysia. Rohitha Bogollagama, Sri Lankan foreign minister, who was in New York on Thursday to canvass for a seat for Sri Lanka in the United Nations Human Rights Council – six Asian nations Bahrain, East Timor, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea and Sri Lanka are contesting for four seats - told Bernama during a meet-the-press event at the Asian Society that he discerned “keen interest” amongst Asean member countries, including Malaysia, to invest in Sri Lanka. "The Asean member countries, including Malaysia, have steadily increased their investments in Sri Lankan which offers good investment opportunities in a number of sectors such as subcontracting, textiles, etc," he said. Bogollagama claimed that Sri Lanka had attracted foreign direct investment worth US$ 750 million in 2007. "We have targeted US$ 1 billion for the current year," he added. -- MORE SRI LANKA-TIES 2 NEW YORK "The Asean group is the leading investor in Sri Lanka. We also have close political ties with the Asean and are, in fact, the 27th member country in the Asean Security Forum," he said. According to the foreign minister, Sri Lanka’s economy is characterized by strong growth, touching six per cent in the last three years. "Exports have grown at a rate of 20 per cent," he added. While foreign trade and investment seemed to be issues of interest to Sri Lanka, they were, nevertheless, peripheral during his visit. His visit was intended to get support at the United Nations whose member states have been asked by some 20 human rights organization not to vote for Sri Lanka because of human rights’ abuses. -- MORE SRI LANKA-TIES 3 (LAST) NEW YORK However, the Sri Lankan foreign minister responded by saying that “some of these organizations are good but some of them are fake organizations. Let them say what they want. However, the member states should judge Sri Lanka by its democratic commitment”. He said that Sri Lanka was investigating cases of abuses through a committee comprising respected personalities. -- BERNAMA MME AO

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