Politics

SL Ambassador Meets Zarqa Chamber of Commerce to Strengthen Trade and Economic Ties

Sri Lankan Ambassador to Jordan, J.A.D.S. Priyangika Wijegunasekara, visited the Zarqa Chamber of Commerce on 21 August, engaging in a productive dialogue aimed at enhancing trade and economic cooperation between Sri Lanka and Jordan.

The discussions centered around strengthening trade, tourism, and investment ties between the two countries. Zarqa Chamber Chairman Hussein Shraim highlighted the importance of enhancing tourism cooperation and suggested boosting bilateral tourism by connecting travel companies and agents from both nations.

Ambassador Wijegunasekara noted the strong and growing relationship between Sri Lanka and Jordan, established in 1965, emphasizing the continuous development of trade, commerce, and labor relations. She invited Jordanian businesses to invest in the Port City Colombo, citing Sri Lanka’s favorable business environment. She also suggested deploying more skilled Sri Lankan workers in Jordan’s industrial cities, given the two nations’ existing industrial cooperation.

The Ambassador expressed a desire to increase trade exchange, particularly in facilitating Jordan’s export of olive oil and Dead Sea salt products to Sri Lanka. Chairman Shraim noted a significant growth in trade exchange during the first five months of 2024, with major imports from Sri Lanka including fabrics, tea, coffee, spices, and coconut products. Jordan’s primary exports to Sri Lanka consist of iron products, furniture, chemical goods, and clothing.

Both parties agreed to organize joint economic activities to further strengthen trade cooperation and explore additional avenues for collaboration. The meeting was attended by several key figures, including members of the Zarqa Chamber Board of Directors and officials from the Sri Lankan Embassy.