UK Foreign Affairs Minister urges military collaboration with Sri Lanka
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the UK Hugo Swire
Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom (UK) have very close bilateral military relations in the past and a resumption of this cooperation and collaboration would be very welcome, says Hugo Swire, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the UK during a visit to Colombo. Mr. Swire made this statement at a media briefing organized by the Council for Business with Britain at the Kingsbury Colombo on Thursday.
He said, “Historically bilateral military relations have been very close between Sri Lanka and the UK and the resumption of cooperation and collaboration in this field is very welcome by the armed forces of both our countries”. He also mentioned at the event that the most significant developments Sri Lanka has made were the commitments at the Human Rights Council last September. Those commitments take meaningful steps towards truth and accountability after the long conflict here and are the key to bringing about lasting reconciliation.
It is important because reconciliation will be the bedrock on which Sri Lanka’s future economic success will be built. He noted that one vital aspect of reconciliation and economic development and a growing area of cooperation between the UK and Sri Lanka are tackling corruption. Answering the request of the President Maithripala Sirisena for international assistance, the UK is providing anti-corruption training and anti-bribery expertise to the Sri Lankan authorities. Elimination of corruption improves business confidence not only for the existing business community but also helps make Sri Lanka a destination of choice for new foreign direct investments (FDI’s).
Building prosperity through increasing exports and investment, opening markets, ensuring access to resources and promoting sustainable global growth is a key element of the UK government’s long term economic plan and a cornerstone to our foreign policy, he noted. Figures released in December show that the UK economy continued to grow strongly, with GDP in the third quarter increasing to 2.1 per cent from a year ago. The unemployment rate fell to 5.2 per cent, the lowest rate in nearly 10 years, while average wages and productivity measured by hours worked continued to grow.
Just two weeks after the New Year, stock markets have fallen around the world, the economic slowdown in China and deep problems in Brazil and in Russia is taking place. Commodity prices have fallen very significantly. Oil which was over US$120 a barrel in 2012, dipped below $35 earlier this week. This is good for consumers and business customers both in Britain and Sri Lanka, but bad news for the oil and gas industry, worrying for the creditors who have lent to it and a massive problem for the countries that depend on it. All of this adds to the volatility and sense of uncertainty in the world.
The Government of Sri Lanka has sent a very clear message to the international community across the world that it is open for business from all corners of the globe. Attracting FDI’s is a top priority for the government as it seeks to strengthen the Sri Lankan economy and put the country in a stronger position to deal with the global challenges. The UK is Sri Lanka’s third largest market with exports in 2014 growing by 36 per cent to well over £1 billion. While British exports to Sri Lanka were only £165 million in the same year, the UK has made reducing that trade gap a priority and the latest figures show UK exports to Sri Lanka increased by nearly 50 per cent last year.
(RM)