Spanish ministers express support for Sri Lanka

Ministers and Members of the Congress of Spain expressed their whole-hearted support to Sri Lanka to accelerate the rapid pace of development taking place in the country.

Their support was expressed when Sri Lanka's Water Supply and Drainage Minister and Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardena, who is on a visit to Spain, met them.

The Minister met President of the Commission on Agriculture, Food and Environment, Jose Ignacio Llorens Torres and six senior Members of the Commission, all of whom are Members of the Congress representing all political parties in Spain, to consolidate the areas of cooperation between the two countries.

Discussions were held with the State Minister of Environment Federico Ramos at the Spanish Ministry of Environment.

Minister Ramos explained the three key elements of cooperation that could be developed as being river basin planning, the integral cycle of water management and water management in extreme situations, which would help Sri Lanka in the future.

Minister Gunawardena welcomed the areas of joint collaboration and thanked the Spanish Government for the continuous efforts to assist Sri Lanka.

Meeting the State Minister of Commerce Jaime Garcia Legaz, Minister Gunawardena extended an invitation for a joint public and private sector delegation to visit Sri Lanka in 2013 to explore areas of cooperation and further investment in Sri Lanka.

Minister Gunawardena also met with heads and representatives of the Spanish business community related to the water sector in Madrid and articulated the need for foreign investors to tap into the opportunities in Sri Lanka.

Highlighting the investment opportunities that exist at present, the Chairman of the Water Supply and Drainage Board, Karunasena Hettiarachchi, who accompanied the Minister, said that several small and large-scale projects were open for investment and Sri Lanka looked to countries such as Spain to harness the prospects as part of its development drive.

Minister Dinesh Gunawardena was in Madrid as part of a three-city visit to Spain which also took him to Barcelona and Seville, where he was to attend the Global Water Summit.

He was accompanied by Yadamini Gunawardena and George I.H. Cooke, First Secretary of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in France, which is accredited to Spain.