SLItBC benefitting Sri Lanka-Italy biz relations: Italian Ambassador
Thursday, 4 September 2014 00:00
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The 15th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council was held on the 21 August at the Hilton Colombo Residencies Colombo.
The Council, which focuses on the objectives of “promoting investment, trade and joint ventures between Sri Lanka and Italy,” comes under the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
The Chief Guest of the event, Italian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Fabrizio Arpea, speaking during the occasion said that the business relationship between Sri Lanka and Italy has benefited greatly through the Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council.
He said the work done by the Council has helped improve bilateral trade, investments, tourism and industrial cooperation between the two nations.
Sri Lanka’s exports to Italy mainly consist of machinery and equipment. Ambassador Arpea also mentioned that he looks forward to the future support of the Council for various activities and also stated that the High Commission looks forward to support the Council in all its activities.
Hellmann Worldwide Logistics Ltd. Managing Director Tania Polonnowita Wettimuny was elected as the President of the Council for the year 2014/2015. She mentioned that the incoming Committee would focus its attention on encouraging joint ventures between Sri Lanka and Italy, conduct match-making events between firms in both countries and also work with the relevant diplomatic missions to help boost commercial relationship between the two countries.
Allied Trading and Engineering Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Rajah Abeyasinghe JP and Mackinnons American Express Travel Chief Operating Officer Sonali Liyanamana were appointed as Vice Presidents of the Council.
AusAfrasia Designer Tiles Ltd. CEO/Managing Director Daya Rathnayake will serve as the immediate Past President.
The following members were elected to the Committee of the Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council: The Autodrome PLC Joint Managing Director Rajeev Aloysius, Lanka Tiles PLC Managing Director Mahendra Jayasekera, , Spear International Ltd. Chairman / Managing Director Shamil Mendis, John Keells Holdings PLC Vice President Yohan Peries, DFCC Vardhana Bank PLC Head of Remittances and FCBU Operations Harsha de Alwis, Ally Weerasinghe Ltd. Managing Director Avindra Weerasinghe, EuroSports Auto Lanka Ltd. General Manager Anushka Polonowita, A Baur& Co. Ltd. Director Janaka Gunasekera.
Membership of the Council is open to individuals, partnerships, companies, corporations or other organizations engaged in trade, tourism and services with Italy, engaged in joint ventures with Italian organisations or interested in entering into or promoting trade, tourism, services or joint ventures with Italian organisations.
Seated from left: Sonali Liyanamana, Mackinnons American Express Travel, Vice President SLItBC; Anisha Dias Mack, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce; Daya Ratnayake, AusAfrasia Designer Collection Ltd., Immediate Past President; Tania Polonnowita Wettimuny, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics Ltd., President SLItBC; Fabrizio Arpea, Ambassador, Embassy of Italy; Rajah Abeyasinghe, Allied Trading & Engineering Ltd., Vice President SLItBC; Ranjit Jayawardena, Ranmal International Ltd., Past President SLItBC. Standing from left: Anushka Polonowita, EuroSports Auto Lanka Ltd., Avindra Weerasinghe, Ally Weerasinghe Ltd.; Dr. Giandomenico Milano, Embassy of Italy in Sri Lanka; Yohan Peries, John Keells Holdings PLC; Shamil Mendis, Spear International Ltd.; Harsha de Alwis, DFCC Vardhana Bank PLC; Janaka Gunasekera, A Baur & Co. Ltd.; Mahendra Jayasekera, Lanka Walltiles PLC. Not in the picture: Rajeev Aloysius, the Autodrome PLC
