Efforts under way to establish Sri Lankan-Jordanian business council — ambassador

AMMAN —  Work is under way to establish a Sri Lankan-Jordanian Business Council to enhance bilateral economic and trade cooperation, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Shanika Dissanayake said on Wednesday.

In an interview with the Jordan News Agency, Petra, on the occasion of her country's national day, Dissanayake stated that Jordanian exports to Sri Lanka saw “a steady growth” from 2016 to 2020, describing bilateral relations, which were established in 1965, as “warm, friendly and strong based on common values”.

The ambassador said that there are many untapped potentials to enhance trade and economic ties.

"The key factor that determined the volume of trade exchange between the two countries is the volume of Ceylon tea exported to Jordan," Dissanayake said.

Sri Lanka, known as “the sapphire capital of the world”, also plans to export gemstones to the Kingdom, she said.

 "It is my fervent goal to bring in other high value added exports of Sri Lanka into Jordan such as our coloured gemstones, which are the best in the world," the envoy pointed out.

Sri Lanka’s exports to Jordan also include natural rubber products, seafood, spices, coconut products, clothes, while Jordan exports fertilisers, various food products, essential oils, porcelain products and pharmaceutical products to Sri Lanka, the ambassador said. 

The embassy, she indicated, hosted a commercial delegation of 13 members last year to introduce them to Jordanian market and to explore commercial opportunities, in addition to the Sri Lankan one-country exhibition at the Jordan Chamber of Commerce headquarters last year to display Sri Lankan products with added value.

The ambassador also pointed to the $32-million Sri Lankan investments in the Jordanian clothing sector, adding that there are currently about 9,000 Sri Lankans working in the Kingdom.

She stressed the importance of enhancing tourism between the two countries, calling on Jordanians to visit Sri Lanka, home to eight UNESCO World Heritage sites and a diverse wildlife.

Dissanayake urged Jordanian investors and entrepreneurs to invest in Sri Lanka, especially in the Pharmaceutical Zone in Hambantota, which is a specifically tailored zone to manufacture pharmaceutical products.

As Sri Lanka celebrates its 73rd Independence Day, the ambassador congratulated Jordanians on the occasion of the Kingdom's centenary.