Colombo to host 1st India - Sri Lanka CEOs Forum meeting tomorrow

NEW DELHI: The 1st meeting of the India-Sri Lanka CEOs Forum, formed by Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, is slated to be held on August 4 in Colombo. The forum has been established to create a roadmap for the risen cooperation along with the economic collaboration between both the neighbours. It will be holding discussions to strengthen trade and investments opportunities in both the nations.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman and MD, Bharti Airtel Ltd is the co-chair from the Indian side and Kulathunga Rajpaksa, executive director, Samson International Ltd has been appointed to co-chair from Sri Lanka.

Business leaders from both India and Sri Lanka will participate in the CEOs Forum. The Forum will be interacting with Union Minister of Commerce, Industry & Textiles Anand Sharma and his counterpart, Minister of Industry & Commerce of Sri Lanka Honourable Rishad Bathiudeen.

The bilateral trade between India and Sri Lanka trade stood at $4 billion in 2010-11 and has the potential to touch $8 billion within the next three years. Moreover, Sri Lanka is considered as India’s largest trade partner in South Asia and India is Sri Lanka’s largest trade partner internationally.