German Chambers to assist Sri Lanka in trade and investment

Thursday, 9 March 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

During his meeting with Sri Lankan Ambassador Amunugama, the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce in Bremen Harald Emigholz has assured that the German Chambers will work with their Sri Lankan counterparts to enhance economic relations between Sri Lanka and Germany.

Joining the meeting, the Director General of Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune), Bernhard Steinruecke, said that 136 Bremen-based companies have already invested in India, and that the business community in the Chamber has a long history in their trade relations with Asia. He also informed that these German Chambers are looking forward to open a branch office in Colombo soon.

During the interactions, Ambassador Amunugama pointed out that the volume of trade between Germany and Sri Lanka has increased substantially during the past few years and requested the members of the German Chambers to gear up for the upcoming possibilities in importing more products from Sri Lanka under the lifting of the ban on tuna exports to Europe and also through the provisions regained under GSP Plus facilities. Ambassador Amunugama also explained the Government’s vision to develop Sri Lanka as a logistic hub and a service point to South, East Asia and to the Middle East.

Bremen is one of the smallest, but economically strong Federal States in Germany and is considered as one of the main entry points to the European market. Bremen’s city ports are specialised on handling conventional break bulk and heavy lift cargo. Numerous logistics centres are based in Bremen, together with Germany’s leading freight village.

The President of the East Asian Chamber of Commerce in Bremen, Hans-Christian Specht, invited Ambassador Amunugama to meet the other members of the German Chambers of Commerce during the Annual Dinner hosted by them for over 300 leading entrepreneurs from many parts of Germany.

Ambassador Amunugama also had a meeting with the Mayor of Bremen and President of the Senate of Bremen, Dr. Carsten Sieling, on the sidelines of his visit to Bremen.