Slovenia keen to increase trade with Sri Lanka, visiting envoy says
Jozef Drofenik
Slovenia is keen to upgrade and increase trade with Sri Lanka with special emphasis on enhancing tourism as well as providing technical help in the areas of renewable energy. “We can offer knowledge for the development of the tourism industry in Sri Lanka which has huge potential. The island is beautiful but very few people in Slovenia know about it. We can also help small and medium-sized companies using renewable energy like solar and mini-hydro power,” said Slovenia’s new ambassador to the country Jozef Drofenik. Mr. Drofenik, who formally presented his credentials to President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday (April 22), said at present trade between the two nations amounts to a paltry six million Euros compared to 300 million Euros between India and Slovenia.
“Economic cooperation between the two countries must grow. At the moment it is very small when you think of the possibilities we have. My role will be to connect the business people of our two countries,” the Slovenian ambassador told the Business Times on Thursday. Slovenia joined the European Union (EU) in 2004 and has been a member of the Eurozone since 2007. Mr. Drofenik, who is based in New Delhi, was making his first visit to Sri Lanka since taking up the ambassadorial role to India five months ago.
He also said the EU is all set to restore the GSP + facility for Sri Lanka as well as lift the ban on fish exports. “I have been very impressed with the little of what I have seen in Sri Lanka. The drive from the airport to the hotel was very nice and it shows how clean this country is,” smiled Mr. Drofenik.
Although his first visit was brief, Mr. Drofenik was highly impressed with the country’s potential believing that it could one day become a hub like Singapore. “Conditions in Sri Lanka are conducive for trade and business. Already there are reports from the World Bank as well as the IMF as to how much easier it is to get things done in Colombo. But Sri Lanka is not going as fast as it could.” Another pet project for the ambassador will be to revive plans made by the previous regime to twin the cities of Kandy and Bled, a small and picturesque city in the Central European country. “Yes, I will be trying to push it. I know the Mayor of Bled personally, we are friends, and it will be good to promote cultural exchanges between the two cities. If people get to know each other’s culture, it makes it easier to do business together too.” The honorary consul-general for Slovenia in Sri Lanka is Sanath Ukwatte.