Sri Lanka Trade Minister Concludes Visit to Oman

COLOMBO: The Sri Lanka Embassy in Oman organized a bilateral trade visit of a five member Sri Lanka delegation led by Minister of Trade of Sri Lanka Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana to the Sultanate of Oman recently.

The visit of the Sri Lanka Ministerial Trade Delegation was prompted by the recent visit of a 17 member Omani Business Delegation headed by the Chairman of Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry (OCCI), to Sri Lanka from 05 – 09 March 2022.

The Sri Lanka Ministerial Trade Delegation comprised of Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, Ameer Ajwad, Chairman of Sri Lanka Trading Corporation (STC) Yogendra Perera, Director of Department of Commerce of Sri Lanka, M. Somasena Mahadulwewa, Senior Consultant to CINEC Campus, Admiral (Rtd) Thisara Samarasinghe and President of SLTC, Ranjith Rubasinghe.

Minister Bandula Gunawardhana together with the delegation, met with the Minister of Energy and Minerals of Oman, Dr. Mohammed Al Rumhi and handed over a letter addressed to Sultan Haitham bin Tarik from Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapakse in connection with the bilateral cooperation in oil and gas sectors. Both Ministers also discussed potential cooperation in the establishment of oil refinery and gas storage facilities at G2G level between the two countries.

The Sri Lanka Ministerial Trade Delegation also met with the Minister of Heritage and Tourism of Oman, Salem bin Mohammed Al Mahruqi and explored ways and means of promoting tourism between the two countries. Both sides agreed to facilitate links between tour operators in both countries. During the meeting, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad highlighted that a MoU, which has now been finalized between the Ministries of Tourism of the two countries for signature, would serve as a catalyst for the enhancement of cooperation in the tourism and hospitality sectors between the two countries. 

The Sri Lanka Ministerial Trade Delegation led by Minister Gunawardhana held detailed bilateral discussion with the delegation from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion of Oman headed by the Under Secretary for Commerce and Industry, Dr. Saleh Msan.  Both sides exchanged information relating to opportunities available in both countries for trade and investment.  They also identified potential sectors to initiate collaboration between the two countries. It was also agreed to organize Business Forums and B2B meetings in Oman with the participation of a multi-sector business delegation from Sri Lanka in September 2022. During the meeting, the Sri Lanka side also proposed concluding a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with limited product coverage between the two countries.  Both sides also agreed to set up a committee representing the government and private sectors with a view to following up on the areas identified during the visit.

The Sri Lanka Ministerial Trade Delegation also had a productive meeting with the delegation of the Ministry of Higher Education of Oman led by Under Secretary Dr. Bakhit Ahmed Al-Mahri. The Sri Lanka delegation shared information on the potential opportunities available in the higher education sector in Sri Lanka for Omani students. They also explored opportunities for the establishment of Sri Lanka higher education facilities in Oman on a joint venture basis. 

The Sri Lanka Ministerial Trade Delegation held a follow up meeting with the Chairman and the Members of the Board of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) and took stock of the outcome of the recent visit undertaken by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry to Sri Lanka from 05 – 09 March 2022. They also discussed the programme for the visit of forthcoming business delegations from Sri Lanka to Oman. The OCCI also organized meetings with private educational institutions in Oman for the visiting Sri Lankan trade delegation with a view to establishing collaborations between the private institutions in both countries.

Minister Gunawardhana and the delegation also visited Lulu Hypermarket and SPAR Supermarket in Oman where Sri Lankan products are sold, held meetings with the management and explored ways and means of promoting more Sri Lankan products to be introduced into the Omani retail market.