The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has signed memoranda of understanding with the Qatar Sri Lanka Business Council (QSLBC) and with the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon (CCIA-BML), EconomyNext reported.
The two agreements set out a framework for the chambers to exchange business and economic information, facilitate contacts between their respective business communities, and identify opportunities for trade, investment and commercial cooperation.
Qatar signing marks 50 years of relations
The agreement with the QSLBC comes as Sri Lanka and Qatar mark 50 years of bilateral relations.
Krishan Balendra, Chairperson of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber was pleased to support and cooperate with both organisations.
“The partnerships would help strengthen connections between the respective business communities and create opportunities for greater trade, investment and commercial engagement,” he said.
B A W C Gunasekara, Secretary of the QSLBC, noted the potential to further strengthen business relations between Sri Lanka and Qatar and to facilitate greater interaction between companies in both markets.
Part of a widening chamber network
The agreements add to the Ceylon Chamber’s international network of chamber and business organisation partnerships, which it uses to connect Sri Lankan firms with overseas markets, partners and investment opportunities.
The chamber has been expanding those ties steadily this year, including a renewed memorandum with Gujarat’s chamber of commerce and industry earlier in August.
Qatar and Lebanon are both established destinations for Sri Lankan labour and exports, and the Gulf remains a significant market for Sri Lankan tea. Neither agreement carries binding commercial commitments; MoUs of this kind establish a channel for engagement rather than specific trade terms.
