UAE fillip for Lankan economy

by P. Krishnaswamy

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that his country looked forward to assist Sri Lanka in the areas of tourism, renewable energy, agriculture and construction.

The Foreign Minister of UAE was on a special visit to Sri Lanka and met Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama at the Foreign Ministry yesterday.Following his discussions with Minister Bogollagama, the UAE Foreign Minister told the media that the UAE was also looking at other areas where it could make investments.

He added that assistance would be determined after deliberations at a Joint Commission that would be formed in October this year.

At the Foreign Ministry the UAE Foreign Minister also met several other ministers, including Construction and Engineering Services Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne and Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne and senior ministry officials.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama speaking to the media said that it was a unique event that the UAE Foreign Minister was paying a special visit to Sri Lanka after 35 years since his father the former UAE Foreign Minister visited in 1976 and this visit marked the highest level of engagement between the two countries. Nearly 2.5 lakhs of Sri Lankans representing five percent of our population are employed as expatriate workers in the UAE, the Minister pointed out.

The various areas where interaction and assistance between the two countries would be considered.

There are vast resources for processed food, tourism, agriculture, industrial goods, precious stones, construction and renewable energy in the UAE, Minister Bogollagama said, adding that the two countries hoped to make important strides in the years to come.