Special attention to SL at ADB Annual Meet: Finance Ministry

The Finance Ministry said last week that Sri Lanka received special attention at the2016 Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank which concluded in Frankfurt, Germany.

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake represented Sri Lanka at the 49th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank. Finance Ministers representing 67 countries of the Asian Development Bank and more than 3000 expertise in the finance sector participated at this meeting. The theme of the meeting was “Cooperating for Sustainability”.

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake stated that Sri Lanka has achieved many specific advantages at this meeting. The Minister briefed that special attention of the Finance Ministers representing ADB counties was focused on Sri Lanka as a new political situation prevailed at the country.

 Sri Lanka has obtained distinctive opportunity to participate for the first business session and the Finance Minister, Ravi Karunanayake also got the opportunity to participate at the special meeting of Finance Ministers in which he delivered the keynote address.

Addressing the Finance Ministers of ADB countries the Minister stated that broader economic plan has been implemented in Sri Lanka as there is a newly enhanced political situation.

 He also stated that Sri Lanka is now receiving international cooperation as the attention of the global community has been more focused on us. The Sri Lankan government is supposed to give the required assistance in regard to the investment opportunities existing in Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka expects the assistance of the ADB in this endeavor to uplift the country’s economy, the Minister further said.

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake had proceeded with individual discussions with Finance Ministers of many countries during the ADB meeting. 

Discussions with the Japanese Finance Minister, Taro Aso were of utmost important since the cooperation between Sri Lanka and Japan has been widening in recent times . Aso said Japan extended continuous cooperation for future development in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan finance minister also met with the Chair of the Board of Governors and Governor for Germany of the Asian Development Bank, Hans-Joachim Fuchtel, the  Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development and members of the German Parliament.