Czech Republic commends Lanka's economic progress

Minister of Trade and Industry of the Czech Republic Martin Kocourek expressed his country's enthusiasm in supporting Sri Lanka's development activities.

The Czech Minister expressed his views at the Czech-Sri Lanka Investment Forum at the International Chamber of Commerce in Prague last week.Kocourek welcomed Sri Lanka's External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris and appreciated the "staggering economic progress" achieved by Sri Lanka in the past months.

Minister Kocourek stated that the Czech Republic was strong in sectors such as water management, environment management, energy, petroleum, security, as well as transport and tourism infrastructure.

Czech investments in these sectors could be backed by the Czech Export Bank and the Czech Export Insurance Guarantee Agency.

Minister Peiris agreed that these sectors matched the current needs of Sri Lanka, while cooperation in other sectors, backed by concessional financing was also welcome.

Sri Lanka's current infrastructure development plans and growth in sectors such as tourism and portfolio investment afforded wider opportunities to the Czech side. Bilateral trade could also be greatly enhanced.Later in the day, Minister Peiris addressed the Czech-Sri Lanka Investor Forum along with the Czech Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vladimir Galuska.

Forty Czech companies from a wide variety of sectors participated in the Forum. At the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Minister Peiris met the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Miroslava Nemcova, and the Inter-parliamentary Group of Friends of Sri Lanka. The two sides exchanged views on the evolution of their parliaments.