Mr. Lord Jonathan Marland, Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC), paid an official visit to Sri Lanka and met with Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the Treasury at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, recently, to discuss avenues for strengthening economic cooperation and enhancing foreign investment flows into the country.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Niro Cooke, Board Director of the CWEIC, Prof. Asif Chaudhary, Board Director of the CWEIC, Mr. AQ Hamza, Chief Commercial Officer of the CWEIC, Mr. Deshan Gonawela, Country Director for Sri Lanka of the CWEIC; representing CWEIC. On behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, the Secretary to the Treasury was joined by Director General, Department of External Resources.

During the discussions, Mr. Lord Marland provided an overview of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC), a membership organization mandated by Commonwealth Heads of Government to facilitate trade and investment across Commonwealth member states.

He also shared insights from his extensive experience in enterprise development and investment promotion across various countries. CWEIC works to promote partnerships between governments and the private sector, foster sustainable economic growth, and create business collaboration opportunities throughout its network of member nations.

The Secretary to the Treasury highlighted Sri Lanka's ongoing economic reforms and development priorities, emphasizing the importance of attracting increased foreign direct investment to support sustainable growth, job creation, and infrastructure development. He sought the assistance and collaboration of CWEIC in promoting Sri Lanka as an attractive investment destination among investors within the Commonwealth network.

In response, Mr. Lord Marland expressed CWEIC's willingness to extend its full support in facilitating increased foreign investment inflows to Sri Lanka. He reaffirmed the Council's commitment to working closely with the Government of Sri Lanka to strengthen business linkages, promote investment opportunities, and enhance economic partnerships.

Both parties agreed to continue their engagement and explore practical mechanisms to advance mutually beneficial cooperation in the period ahead.