The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China will provide hard and soft connectivity in the Indian Ocean that is required for rapid economic and social development, especially in Sri Lanka, said visiting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana on Tuesday.
He made the remark at a celebration marking the 60th anniversary of China-Sri Lanka diplomatic relationship and the 65th anniversary of the Agreement on Rice for Rubber organized by the Sri Lankan embassy.
“The longstanding, close and friendly relations between the two countries are built on a solid foundation of historic, economic and cultural ties based on friendship, cooperation, mutual trust and understanding and respect for the territorial integrity of the two countries,” said Marapana.
He also noted that Sri Lanka is very keen to reach an early conclusion to the Free Trade Agreement with China in the near future that would expand more trade avenues for both countries.
Karunasena Kodituwakku, the ambassador of Sri Lanka to China, said at the event that his Chinese friends are fully aware about Sri Lanka, its popularity as tourist destination, historical as well as contemporary warm friendship between our two countries.
“Both countries have assisted each other whenever necessity arose,” said Kodituwakku. “I wish most sincerely to see friendship between our countries to become more and more stronger.”
Kodituwakku also said that China has now committed to the global community, and is prepared to share the prosperity it has accomplished in the past two decades with the rest of the world.
“Over the past 60 years, there has been steady progress in our relationship and fruitful outcomes of practical cooperation, bringing concrete benefits to our two peoples,” said Chen Xiaodong, assistant Foreign Minister of China, at the celebration.
“President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Sri Lanka in 2014 ushered our relationship into a new stage of development,” said Chen, adding that China will continue to deepen relations with neighborhood diplomacy of friendship and partnership, and build an even closer community with a share future in its neighborhood.
“China would like to work hand in hand with Sri Lanka in the spirit of sincere mutual assistance and ever-lasting friendship to create an even better future for China-Sri Lanka relationship,” he added.
Marapana is paying an official visit to China from Oct 29 to Nov 4 at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Xinhua reported on Monday.
During his first official visit to China, Marapana congratulated China on the convening of the 19th CPC National Congress, saying that Sri Lanka expresses its gratitude for China’s long-term support for its economic and social development.
The two sides also exchanged letters of approval for a mutual legal assistance treaty on Monday.
China is now Sri Lanka’s second-largest trading partner and 271,577 tourists visited the country last year and 163,189 by July this year. China is also the largest project contractor of Sri Lanka.
