By: Staff Writer
Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka is ready to revitalise the bilateral engagement with Bulgeriya in a new roadmap for increasing cooperation in the ICT, agriculture, labour, education, tourism and manufacturing sectors, where prospects for mutual benefit were promising.
Newly appointed SL Ambassador in Bulgariya Dhammika Kumari Semasinghe outlined the opportunities for Bulgarian investors and businesses as Sri Lanka continued to emerge as an important logistics hub in the Indian Ocean region.
Its economy became more competitive through the Government’s structural and digital reforms program, with focus on modernising agriculture and upscaling the tourism sector.
She expressed these views when she presented her credentials to Bulgarian President Rumen Radev recently.
President Radev welcomed the accreditation of Sri Lanka’s envoy as a timely impetus to reactivate bilateral ties and proposed increasing engagement at the political, institutional, people-to -people (tourism and education) and business-to-business levels to add value to the over six decade long relationship.
Recalling the emerging economic stature of Asia, and recognising Sri Lanka’s strategic commercial importance in that context, he shared Bulgaria’s interest in expanding relations with Sri Lanka.
He assured Bulgaria’s goodwill and ready support to transform the bilateral engagement into a productive multifaceted partnership.
President Radev expressed keen interest in having Sri Lankan niche products and cuisine made available to the Bulgarian people.
He was surprised and delighted, when Ambassador Semasinghe shared details of the already established Sri Lankan health-food store “Ceylon Spice” and the Sri Lankan restaurant –“rCurry- Sri Lankan Cuisine” in the heart of Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital city
Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) head Tsvetan Simeonov and Ambassador of Sri Lanka Dhammika Kumari Semasinghe Wednesday discussed opportunities for the development of bilateral trade and economic ties.
The meeting was also attended by Sri Lanka’s Honorary Consul in Bulgaria Borislav Sarandev, the BCCI said in its latest Infobusiness newsletter.
The Ambassador said that she is in Bulgaria to present her letters of credence, which will mark the start of more active bilateral relations.
Agreements on governmental level will be signed to help develop bilateral economic cooperation.
Bulgaria and Sri Lanka can cooperate in the import of workers, she said, specifying that her country’s population is young, educated and offering specialists in all fields of industry and services.
The sides discussed opportunities for presenting at the BCCI traditional products from Sri Lanka, such as textiles, jewelry, spices, and tea, as well as information on the options for doing business in the Asian country.
Simeonov recalled that the BCCI has signed memoranda of cooperation with partners from Sri Lanka: with the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
