SL Prime Minister is in Croatia

Press Release

Hon . Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, paid an official visit to Republic of Croatia from 10 -13 September 2007, at the invitation of the Croatian side. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Croatia, Aruni Wijewardane, Secretary to the Prime Minister Mr. Mahinda Bandusena , as well as officials from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , and the Board of Investment.

Prime Minister Wickramanayaka was welcomed by Prime Minister of Republic of Croatia Ivo Sanader at the Seat of Government of Republic of Croatia (Government Square) in Zagreb. The Sri Lankan Prime Minister was given a guard of honor with the military band playing the national anthems of the two countries.

Initiating the bilateral talks between the two delegations , Hon. Ivo Sanader welcomed the visit of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, and recalled the high-level exchanges of visits between the two countries in the past , as well the warm bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Croatia. The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka hoped that Croatia's aspirations to join the EU will be soon realized. The Prime Ministers also exchanged views on regional and multilateral affairs, and agreed to strengthen cooperation in multilateral fora for the benefit of the two countries. The Prime Ministers also agreed that terrorism is a common threat to global security and agreed to work together in the efforts to eradicate this menace.

The two sides also agreed that there was scope for initiating and strengthening cooperation in a number of areas, in order to further strengthen existing links between the two countries. It was agreed that Croatia and Sri Lanka could collaborate in the shipbuilding and marine sector for the mutual benefit of both countries. The ports and shipping sectors were important in the economies of both countries, and these were identified as possible areas for future cooperation. Tourism was an important dimension of the economies of both countries and cooperation in this sector could be initiated. The positive interaction between the Chambers of Commerce of the two countries could be taken further and there was scope for further expansion of trade between Sri Lanka and Croatia. Highlighting that the two countries are parliamentary democracies, Prime Minister Wickramanayaka proposed the establishment of Friendship Groups in the Parliaments of the two countries. Prime Minister Wickramanayaka extended an invitation to the Prime Minister of Croatia to visit Sri Lanka in the near future with a high-level business and economic delegation.

The discussions concluded with the signing of the Agreement on Cooperation in the fields of Culture, Education, Science, Technology and Sports. The signing of the document was observed by the two Prime Ministers. Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Croatia Aruni Wijewardane signed for the Sri Lanka side, and Marija Pejcinovic Buric, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration signed for the Croatian side.

Prime Minister Wickramanayaka also met with President Stjepan Mesic of Croatia, as well as Mrs. Kolinda Grabar-KitarovicMinister for Foreign Affairs European Integration of Croatia. During the visit the delegation visited the Rijeka Port of Croatia, the Brodaski Naval Architecture Institute, and the Kraljevica shipyard.

Seelaratne Senarath
Media Secretary to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka