El Salvador envoy visits Ceylon Chamber of Commerce

Tuesday, 20 May 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Discusses ways to enhance trade

El Salvadorian envoy to both Sri Lanka and India Guillermo Rubio Funes, who is based in Delhi, visited the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently, and was accompanied by Honorary Consul of El Salvador in Sri Lanka Nilrusha Pieris. Guillermo was met by Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Deputy Secretary General Alikie Perera, CCC Solutions CEO Chandula Abeywickrema, Chamber Senior Assistant Secretary General Lilakshi De Mel and Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chief Economist Gaythri Gunaruwan. During the discussions, the envoy explained the need to increase trade between Sri Lanka and El Salvadore, as statistics shows that trade between the two countries are at a very minimal level.

Sri Lanka’s total trade with El Salvadore just stood around US$ 1 million in 2013 with the trade balance favouring Sri Lanka. El Salvador has not imported any items to the island nation during the said year. El Salvadore mostly buys Tea, Spices, Animal or Vegetable Fats and Oil, Edible Fruit and Nuts from Sri Lanka. Speaking during the occasion, Alikie Perera stressed the importance of building links between the business bodies of the two countries to help explore two-way trade and investment opportunities. She said the Chamber can organise a business delegation to visit El Salvador, if there is a party ready to facilitate ‘Match making’. “We generally send six to seven delegations to overseas destinations every year and stay there for three to four days to build up business links. What we need is a counterpart from the other side to make the match,” she said. She also said that, El Salvadorian investors can use Sri Lanka as a platform to target the Indian market by using the Sri Lanka – India Free Trade Agreement. Guillermo is the newly appointed ambassador to India and Sri Lanka, representation the Latin American country and is based in Delhi. He visited the Chamber, when he arrived in Colombo to present his credentials to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.