ZAGREB, June 26 (Hina) - Political relations between Sri Lanka and Croatia are very good and on the rise, however, bilateral trade is less than modest and has to be bolstered, Croatia's Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and his Sri
Lankan colleague Tyronne Fernand, who is on a two-day official visit to Croatia, said on Thursday.
ZAGREB, June 26 (Hina) - Political relations between Sri Lanka and
Croatia are very good and on the rise, however, bilateral trade is
less than modest and has to be bolstered, Croatia's Foreign
Minister Tonino Picula and his Sri Lankan colleague Tyronne
Fernand, who is on a two-day official visit to Croatia, said on
Thursday. #L#
Last year's trade between Croatia and Sri Lanka amounted to
US$800,000.
Minister Picula announced that by December this year at least two
agreements would be ready for signing to enable better business
contacts.
According to Picula, Sri Lanka is particularly interested in
Croatia's shipbuilding and food-processing industries.
Advocating an increase in foreign investments into Sri Lanka,
Fernand said Sri Lanka had signed a free trade agreement with India
which would grant Croatian companies operating in Sri Lanka access
to India's market of one billion consumers. This could be
particularly attractive to Croatia's pharmaceutical industry, he
pointed out.
Apart from economic cooperation, the two ministers also spoke about
cooperation in air and sea transport, as well as in culture and
sports.
Minister Fernand also met President Stjepan Mesic and parliament
vice-president Zdravko Tomac.
(hina) sp rml sb