President returns after a successful tour of Korea achieving many economic benefits

President Rajapaksa returns home from his official tour of South Korea achieving many economic and social benefits for the motherland.

The President undertook a four-day official visit to South Korea at the invitation of his South Korean counterpart Lee Myung Bak. The President and his entourage including First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa returned to the island this afternoon.

Before leaving for Sri Lanka, a function was organized at the Special Air Operations Head Office in the capital Seoul to bid farewell to the President.

This was the first time in 16 years that a Sri Lankan Head of State has visited South Korea. The President received the opportunity of enhancing ties between Sri Lanka and Korea in many fields including in the economic, trade, investment and tourism sectors. The President and his delegation before beginning the official visit after receiving a warm welcome at the Special Air Operations Head Office, paid homage to the Heroes Memorial at Dong Juk Gu in Seoul.

The President and his delegation were accorded a warm welcome by the South Korean President and the First Lady at the official Residence of the President in Seoul. The Korean President lauded Sri Lanka’s future development vision. He Sri Lanka’s economy has grown steadily and its political situation stabilized due to President Rajapaksa’s leadership. During the talks both leaders drew their attention to the possibility of entering into a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.

As about 30 percent of the Korean population comprises Buddhists, President Rajapaksa proposed the launch of new air services for the Korean Buddhists to maintain relations with Sri Lanka. At the request of the Sri Lankan President, an agreement was reached to provide technical support to the Information Technological Park coming up in Hambantota and also to provide Korean Language teachers.

Both countries inked three bilateral Agreements related to exchange of Information Technology, Economic Cooperation and energy.

The President meeting with the Korean business community was of special significance to Sri Lanka. The President told them that Sri Lanka was geared to provide permanent and secure investment opportunities for foreign investors. The President also met a group of leading business delegates on the third day of his visit.  He had talks with the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business, the Federation of Korean Industries, the Korean Exporters Association and the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They were apprised of the investment opportunities available in Sri Lanka. The Korean business community said that considering a high economic growth achieved by Sri Lanka had enticed them to undertake investments in the island nation and launch ventures.

The President also seized the opportunity of his tour of Korea to visit the Mapo Resource Restoration Factory where energy is generated by recycling waste. The President did not forget to meet the Sri Lankan migrant workers and the Sri Lanka students studying in the Korean Universities. The President told them that South Korea had become a developed nation and Sri Lanka succeeded in routing terrorism as the two countries had the determination of doing so.  The President also told them as to how he confronted challenges when he mediated in sending Sri Lankan youth as workers to Korea. He is upbeat about the fruits now borne as a result of the 23,000 Sri Lankans now serving in Korea.

The President’s fourth day of the tour was set aside to meet the Sri Lanka Korea Business Forum in Busan. In his address to the Forum, the President invited the Korean business fraternity to undertake investments in Sri Lanka and become a stakeholder in island’s journey towards prosperity. The President’s visit which enabled him to achieve many economic and social benefits was joined by Ministers Prof. G.L. Peiris and Dulles Alahapperuma, Parliamentarians Sajin Vaas Gunawardena, Namal Rajapaksa, Nishantha Muthuhettigama, Roshan Ranasinghe and Sunny Rohana, President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunge, Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabral, BOI Chairman M.M.C. Ferdinancu, Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman Dr. Nalaka Godahewa and a group of Sri Lankan business delegates.