Sri Lanka looks to expand cooperation with Jordan in trade, tourism

Several steps will be taken this year to tap the potential to strengthen Sri Lankan-Jordanian cooperation in various areas, according to Sri Lankan Ambassador Abdul Latiff Lafeer, The Jordan Times reported.

Sri Lanka and Jordan, which established diplomatic ties in 1965, enjoy solid relations and trade exchange is steadily growing, Lafeer said on the occasion of the Sri Lankan national day, which the embassy marks on Thursday. 

However, the potential remains high for exploring new areas of cooperation, especially that Sri Lanka is embarking on a series of major projects in different areas, the ambassador told The Jordan Times in an interview.

In the next two months, a meeting for the Jordanian-Sri Lankan joint committee will be held in Amman to explore areas of cooperation and enhance ties, he said.

Prior to the meeting, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and the Jordan Chamber of Commerce are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding to increase trade ties and exchange, Lafeer added.

Trade exchange between the two countries in 2014 was around $45 million, of which $36 million were exports of tea from Sri Lanka to Jordan. 

In addition, Sri Lanka exports electronic items, material for the garment industry and rubber material to Jordan. 

“The trade volume is steadily growing but the potential to increase is high, especially that Sri Lanka is a growing market, where its economy rose by about 6 per cent in 2015,” said the ambassador.

As Sri Lanka is embarking on a $40 billion project to turn the country into a hyper centre over the next 15 years, the ambassador said Jordanian developers and contractors can play a significant role in the mega project due to the know-how and expertise they enjoy in this regard.