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| Sunday, 6 April 2003 |
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Largest Finnish delegation at Business Forum The largest investment and trade delegation from Finland, headed by Glen Lindholm, Ambassador of Finland for Sri Lanka, attended the top level Finland - Sri Lanka Business Forum in Colombo last week. Lindholm was accompanied by his Minister Counsellor Caj Soderlund, Commercial Counsellor and Head of Finpro New Delhi Pertti Huitu and Counsellor Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Finland and Adviser to Finnfund Harri Sallinen. The Ambassador said: "The purpose of the forum was increasing the trade relationship between the two countries that is presently at a low level. The peaceful situation prevailing in Sri Lanka has opened up many opportunities. The island's location is also extremely favourable to develop the country as a shipping hub and also as a gateway to the SAARC region. The signing of the Indo - Lanka Free Trade Agreement too has opened up opportunities in Sri Lanka". "More than 70 one-to-one meetings were held. It will take time to develop contacts, but I am very positive of the outcome," said a confident Ambassador. The forum was inaugurated by Minister of Power and Energy Karu Jayasuriya while Minister of Enterprise Development, Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion Prof. G.L. Peiris delivered a special address. Most investors who attended the forum were from neighbouring countries where they have successful businesses. There were others from Finland, prospecting for business partners in the power and energy, health and wellbeing, and infra/construction, environment and heavy engineering fields, said Consul General for Finland Ratna Sivaratnam. The opening statements at the forum were made by the Finland Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Chairman Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Tilak de Zoysa and President Nordic Council Major Douglas Wijesinghe. Some of the other topics for the forum were means and instruments of cooperation on official and financial levels, concessional credits provided by the Multi Fibre Agreement and Finnvera, Finfund as a catalyst on mobilising funds for industrial investments, information society and the welfare states, the Finnish model, overview of bi-investment protection agreements. 'The role and participation of the business community in the reconstruction of Sri Lanka in consolidating the peace process' is the theme of the Sri Lanka presentation. Comments at this session were made by Prof Peiris, Managing Director Eagle Insurance Chandra Jayaratne and Douglas Wijesinghe. Board of Investment Director General Arjuna Mahendran and Deputy Chairman Ceylon Chamber of Commerce addressed the gathering on doing business and investing in Sri Lanka. Finnish business interests in Sri Lanka and doing business and investing in Finland for European Union and Northern Europe were dealt by Commercial Counsellor Head of Commercial Office FINPRO Pertti Huitu. |
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