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| Sunday, 23 February 2003 |
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Wide int'l participation expected for IMEXPRO 2003 by Elmo Leonard Sri Lanka's first international trade fair following the ceasefire agreement between the Government and the LTTE is scheduled to take place from March 30 to April 1. Wide international participation is expected for the trade event, termed IMEXPRO 2003, a media conference was told. The exhibition will run concurrently in Colombo with the biennial assembly of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Co-operation (IOR-ARC). This meeting will take place from March 29 to April 3. The IMEXPRO exhibition will take place at the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre, Colombo. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) will organise the exhibition, which will coincide with the 164th anniversary of the Chamber. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will play a major role in promoting the trade fair, which is expected to become an annual event. In addition to trade delegations from the 18 countries of the Indian Ocean basin, other countries such as UK, Canada, Pakistan, Italy, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Syria, Finland, Norway, Dubai, Russia and France will participate, CCC Chairman, Tilak de Zoysa said. A large delegation representing two business groupings in India and a delegation from the G-77 countries are expected to take part. Answering questions, De Zoysa said that even if a war breaks out in Iraq, the exhibition will go ahead. The Indian delegation will be represented by the Confederation of Indian Industry, a powerful body with 23 Indian and eight international branches; and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, which has branches all over India, CCC's Senior Secretary, Puvi Domingopillai said. The Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry, based in Taipei, which is an alliance of apex chambers of commerce and industry and business associations from 21 countries, representing interests of three million business enterprises in Asia, has also shown interest in visiting the fair, Domingopillai said. IMEXPRO will also have buyer-seller meetings limited to exhibitors. John Keells Holdings is the principal sponsor of the event while the Export Development Board and Board of Investment are co-sponsors. Springfield Media Technologies, the official outdoor advertising sponsor, is expected to carry out an elaborate outdoor advertising campaign, CCC Consultant, Manique Mendis said. Ionosphere Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, the official Internet service provider, will facilitate free Internet and email access to local visitors and overseas delegates at a Cyber Cafe at IMPEXPRO. A number of Internet booths will be installed at the venue for the benefit of visitors to navigate the information superhighway, she added. The Sri Lanka Software Exporters Association will host a software industry pavilion at IMEXPRO and a software industry road show. Maritime and fishing agreements are expected to be taken up at the IOR-ARC conference. |
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