Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Arun Hemachandra used a high-level EU-Sri Lanka Business Roundtable in Colombo on Thursday to reaffirm the government’s intent to deepen ties with the European Union and use the partnership to anchor a “competitive, resilient, connected, and sustainable” economy.
Speaking at a session held under the theme “Global Gateway and Sri Lanka’s Role as a Regional Maritime and Logistics Hub”, Hemachandra said the island was now moving “from recovery to renewal” and pointed to its position in the Indian Ocean as the platform for that next phase. He flagged port modernisation, green logistics initiatives, digital connectivity, export expansion and stronger investor confidence as the levers the government wants to pull alongside European partners.
The minister urged closer EU engagement to bring in sustainable, high-quality investment, widen trade access and underwrite longer-term economic growth, framing Brussels as a strategic counterweight in Sri Lanka’s external partnerships.
The roundtable brought together EU officials, European diplomatic missions, international financial institutions, chambers of commerce, investors, exporters and senior figures from the ports, logistics and private sectors. EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka Carmen Moreno delivered the keynote, outlining the Global Gateway initiative and Sri Lanka’s role in regional connectivity and trade, EconomyNext reported on Friday. AHK Sri Lanka Chief Delegate Martin Klose also addressed the forum, which the organisers said had identified “strategic reforms to be accelerated in order to create a more conducive enabling environment for future EU investments.” Discussion centred on practical avenues for cooperation under the EU’s Global Gateway framework, port competitiveness, supply chain reliability and maritime infrastructure.
Hemachandra is standing in for Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, who is currently abroad on bilateral engagements. He has been the visible face of cultural and economic diplomacy in recent weeks, including a signal-setting address on heritage and diplomacy earlier this month.
The EU is one of Sri Lanka’s largest export markets and a major source of development finance. The pitch comes days after the IMF Executive Board cleared a combined fifth and sixth review and released US$695 million, an approval the government has used to argue that macroeconomic conditions for new foreign investment are improving.
