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| Sunday, 26 September 2004 |
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Hungary - gateway for Lankan exports by Rohan Mathes The Deputy Foreign Minister Wiswa Warnapala urged the Sri Lankan business community to expand the areas of economic cooperation through enhanced trade and investment with Hungary. Minister Warnapala addressing the Sri Lanka-Hungary Friendship Association (SLHFA) ceremony recently held at the BMICH to commemorate the 'Hungarian National Day', said Sri Lanka had maintained good bilateral relations with Hungary since 1959 with the emergence of the Bandaranaike regime which opened-up diplomatic relations with the socialist world. He recalled the trade agreements signed with Hungary in 1956, 1961, 1972, 1974 and the agreement on Trade, Economic and Technical Co-operation in 1994. He himself in 1998, had been in Hungary to sign an agreement on Educational and Scientific Cooperation, for which the Hungarian Ministry of Culture and Education had undertaken to provide Sri Lanka with assistance in the areas of Education and Scientific Exchange. "East European countries have been important trading partners of Sri Lanka in the past, and Hungary's development potential could be used as a gateway for Sri Lankan exports to the East European countries. Hungary has also the potential to invest in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka could initiate action to promote tourism and cooperation in the areas of the hotel industry, in which Sri Lankan students are already engaged. We could also explore the possibilities of obtaining assistance for joint ventures. Our ambassador in Vienna has recommended the establishment of a trade centre in Budapest, for distribution and promotion of Sri Lankan products in East European countries", he opined. Warnapala urged the SLHFA to promote 'people to people' contacts with Hungary pointing out the vital role it could play in the promotion of better bilateral relations between the two countries. "My ministry welcomes such initiatives because 'people to people' contacts are an important factor in the formulation of foreign policy", he said. |
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