France Offers Technical Assistance to Sri Lanka

17 Aug, 2023

France Offers Technical Assistance to Sri Lanka

France has been actively engaged in assisting Sri Lanka, notably in the establishment of the Committee of Official Creditors. This committee, co-chaired by France, Japan, and India, holds a significant role in the restructuring of Sri Lanka's external official bilateral debt. Ambassador Jean-François Pactet of France shared these insights during the 19th Annual General Meeting of the Lanka – France Business Council, organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

The collaboration between France and Sri Lanka extends through the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Ministry of Economy. This partnership involves providing grants to support technical assistance across various sectors such as agriculture, renewable energy, and marine industries within Sri Lanka. Ambassador Pactet outlined upcoming projects in these fields, expressing the Economic Department of the French Embassy's enthusiasm to collaborate actively with the SLFBC (Sri Lanka - France Business Council) to further enhance bilateral trade and investment.

Highlighting the dynamic trade relationship between the two countries, Ambassador Pactet pointed out the growth of Sri Lankan exports to France in 2022, leading to a trade surplus of 432 M€ in favor of Sri Lanka. He expressed a strong desire to balance this trade equation by fostering French exports to Sri Lanka.

Ashiq Lafir, re-elected as the President of SLFBC for the year 2023/24, emphasized the Council's accomplishments over the past year. These achievements include engagements with the new Ambassador, the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the European Chamber of Commerce, networking gatherings, and activities commemorating the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations between France and Sri Lanka. Lafir reaffirmed SLFBC's dedication to strengthening trade, investment, and tourism connections between the two nations and looked forward to continued progress in the upcoming year.