President returns to the island after Japan, Singapore visits
May 28, 2023 09:14 am
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has returned to the island after concluding his official tour of Singapore and Japan.
Ada Derana reporter mentioned that the President arrived in the island last night (May 27), onboard a Malaysian Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
President Wickremesinghe, who left the island on Tuesday (May 23), left for Japan after visiting Singapore.
While in Japan, the President expressed his appreciation for the support extended by Japan to Sri Lanka for the economic recovery process during the bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo.
He had also expressed confidence that the island nation should be able to conclude the newly-launched debt restructuring talks by September, or November at the latest.
Addressing the Nikkei Forum on the Future of Asia in Tokyo on Thursday (May 25), the Head of the State highlighted Asia’s significance as the world’s largest economy, home to 60% of the global population, and a significant contributor to the global growth, mentioning that Asia has become the global economic powerhouse and the most dynamic region, with its economy already comparable in size to Europe and North America’s economies.
He emphasized that Asian countries do not want to be forced to choose between big powers and highlighted the economic interdependence between ASEAN countries and China and expressed opposition to the bifurcation of Asia.
President Wickremesinghe supported a cooperative approach by Japan and called for open-ended dialogues among Japan, China, India, and ASEAN, adding that it is crucial for the emergence of a peaceful and prosperous Asian region.
Wickremesinghe, who later held talks with Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki, had focused on Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring and the implementation of the IMF program.
He also had a cordial discussion with the Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister during the visit to Japan, where it was focused on strengthening bilateral relations and developing stronger cultural ties.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe actively engaged in a pivotal business roundtable on “Sri Lanka’s Economic Revival & Opportunities for Japanese Enterprise,” where he presented the nation’s commitment to stabilizing and liberalizing the economy while actively inviting new foreign ventures.
The event, jointly organized by JETRO, Japan-Sri Lanka Business Co-Operation, and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Japan, aimed to strengthen economic ties between the two nations.
