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| Sunday, 6 June 2004 |
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Rs. 65m annual trade between Lanka, Israel by Karel Roberts Ratnaweera Sri Lanka and Israel have bilateral trade agreements under which Israel imports agricultural produce from Sri Lanka which meet 2.5 per cent of Israel's agricultural needs. Commercial trade between the two countries amounts to Rs. 65 million annually. Non-resident Israeli Ambassador to Sri Lanka David Danielli said that there was a lot of untapped potential between the two countries in the economic sector and that there were tremendous opportunities in Sri Lanka for Israeli businessmen. However, there is a need for a more aggressive market. Danielli, based in New Delhi, was speaking to the Sunday Observer on Israel, Sri Lanka relations when he was in Colombo to celebrate the National day of Israel on June 1. Regarding tourist exchanges between the two countries, the Ambassador said that there was a lack of knowledge between Israelis and Sri Lankans about their respective countries, but he hoped to meet the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board for discussions on the possibility of tourism exchanges. Already there are two Israeli tour guides in the island, he said, with 2,500 Israeli tourists visiting Sri Lanka annually. He said that there were growing tourism possibilities between the two countries and suggested that bilateral aviation could also be considered. On the question of Sri Lankans seeking employment in Israel as they do in several Middle East countries, the Ambassador commented that there was a lack of initiative from Sri Lanka in this regard. Israel airlines take 25,000 tourists to India annually, he said and suggested that it was possible for diversion of these tours to Sri Lanka. |
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