Ambassador Perera leads 48-member Italian biz team for Expo 2012

The Embassy of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in Rome has announced that as a result of the promotional drive launched few months back, it has been able to organise a 48-member delegation from Italy and Cyprus to visit Sri Lanka for EXPO 2012 from 28 to 30 March 2012.

The delegation consists of businessmen specialised in an array of activities from trade, investment, apparel, tourism, fisheries, boat industry, logistics and labour, and also includes a few print and electronic media personnel who will be visiting Expo 2012, the mega export exhibition for international buyers, which will be ceremonially inaugurated by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in the presence of the Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa and Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen in Colombo on 28 March 2012.
The exhibition will continue on 29 and 30 March and is being organised by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) under the guidance and direction of Chairman/CEO Janaka Ratnayake, to showcase Sri Lanka’s new export capabilities to the international buyers.
The objectives of the delegation are to: promote bilateral relations between Italy, Cyprus and Sri Lanka in the sphere of trade, investment, labour and tourism; reposition Sri Lanka as a lucrative business, investment and tourism destination in Asia for Italian and Cypriot businessmen; and instil Italian and Cypriot buyer confidence in Sri Lanka’s quality products and services
The main highlights of the delegation are unique combination of trade, investment, travel and manpower sourcing and media group visitors are included in the delegation which aims to explore business opportunities in their respective fields.
The delegation members are scheduled to participate at all important events, including in Trade and Investment Symposium on 29 March 2012. In this forum, Dr. Sandro Veronesi, Chairman of well-known Italian firm Calzedonia Spa, will be speaking on ‘Sri Lanka Investment Climate: Impressions of a Leading International Investor’.
The delegation from Cyprus includes the Consul of Sri Lanka in Cyprus Pieris Pieri, who is accompanying a 15-member delegation, some of whom are seeking to explore avenues for recruiting manpower from Sri Lanka to Cyprus. Gothami Indikadahena, Minister (Commercial) is accompanying the delegation, along with Angelo Perera and Laura Miglietta of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Rome.
Considering bilateral trade between Italy and Sri Lanka during 2011 January-November, the total trade between the two countries has grown to a level of 566.7 million Euros, registering a growth of 19.23% and exports from Sri Lanka to Italy registered a figure of 368.7 million Euros, an increase of 10.39% over January-November 2010 period.
Imports from Italy recorded a figure of 198.0 million Euros, an increase of 40.1% over January-November 2010 period. The trade balance registered a deficit of 170.7 million Euros, a decrease of 11.4% over January-November 2010 period.  
Garments and textiles being the main export item from Sri Lanka to Italy, the business delegation from Italy therefore naturally includes most of the leading Italian companies in this field, demonstrating how strong this sector’s presence in Italian import market can be.  Some of the well known brands sold in the Italian market are produced in Sri Lanka.
There are also new companies included in the delegation who are willing to source products from Sri Lanka.
The next important export item is fish products. The leading importer of sea food in Italy for high end market, Selecta SpA, is also in the delegation.
This company already buys yellow fin tuna from Sri Lanka and prefers to increase its sourcing capacity from Sri Lanka. Selecta SpA, which has an annual turnover of over 50 million Euros, has informed Ambassador Asitha Perera that they will be entering into a joint venture with a Sri Lankan company.
The delegation also includes two leading travel companies in the travel trade, namely, Cartorange SRL and the Crown Jewels, which generally target high end Italian tourists, and intend to interact with local travel handling companies at one-to-one meetings on 28 to 29 March organised by Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.
Few Italian print and electronic media personnel are also in the delegation. Goolliver Internet Blog (www.goolliver.com), which is a leading website provide information on tourist destination and Dott.
Ettore Tamos, who is the editor-in-chief of Il Mondo, in addition to being the Head of the International Business Weekly of the RCS Corriere della Sera Group will be in Sri Lanka.
Il Mondo is the main Italian financial and business weekly with a circulation of over 100,000 copies and the RCS Media Group is Italy’s largest publicity company quoted on the Italian stock exchange.
After the visit by the journalist from Goolliver, Francesca Spanò, it will carry an array of articles on Sri Lanka representing eight themes: pristine, wild, essence, festive, heritage, thrills, scenic and bliss.