Sri Lanka and the UAE agree to establish a Joint Commission

(June 13, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan have agreed on the establishment of a Joint Commission at bilateral talks held between the two countries at the Foreign Ministry today (13 June 2009). The UAE Foreign Minister was on a brief official visit to Sri Lanka, during which he also called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Minister Bogollagama, while welcoming him noted that this was the highest level visit from the UAE to Sri Lanka after more than three decades. The previous visit was that of the late father of the Foreign Minister, the then President of the UAE, Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al – Nahyan who led the UAE delegation to the Non – Aligned Summit in Colombo in 1976.The Minister recalled that it was with the UAE that Sri Lanka had established its first diplomatic relations in the Gulf region in 1979. He voiced his confidence that the current visit of the UAE Foreign Minister would further cement the existing bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

The UAE Foreign Minister, H.H. Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan congratulated the Government , the leadership and the Sri Lankan people on the military victory over the LTTE terrorist group, emphasizing that the Government had defeated a terrorist organization that not only terrorized Sri Lanka but also posed a threat to the region. He reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of UAE to support Sri Lanka as it embarks on a new agenda of post – conflict development of the nation. In this context, he expressed his hope that the proposed Joint Commission between the UAE and Sri Lanka would be able to convene its first meeting by October this year.

Foreign Minister Bogollagama, while endorsing his UAE counterpart’s proposal to set up a Joint Commission, emphasized the need to consolidate the existing bilateral relations into a multi-sectoral engagement beyond the present focus on employment of Sri Lankans in the UAE. He complimented the UAE on being the number one investor in Sri Lanka from among the Arab and Middle Eastern countries, and called for the early conclusion of the Agreement on Investment Promotion and Protection, which could greatly facilitate an increase in the flow of investment from the UAE. The Minister added, “we need to do more to improve our bilateral trade, and we look forward to increased interactions between our trade Chambers”.

Responding to these remarks, the UAE Foreign Minister expressed his keen interest in exploring possibilities of enhancing economic and trade links with an emphasis on investment in agriculture and tourism development, as well as cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Development Fund. In the light of this new engagement that the UAE is seeking with Sri Lanka, he pointed out that it may be prudent to re-visit the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement that is already in place between the two countries and also expedite the signing of the Agreement on Investment Promotion and Protection which is pending. He looked forward to Sri Lanka’s cooperation in the UAE’s desire to achieve food security, through its proposed investment in the agricultural sector in Sri Lanka.

The Minister also sought Sri Lanka’s support for the UAE’s bid to host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), noting that the UAE has earmarked a sum of US$ 15 billion in the next few years for the development of renewable sources of energy. While observing that the headquarters of major international institutions are located primarily in the developed world, H.H. Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan stressed that it was important and timely that developing countries should also get similar opportunities.

The Sri Lanka delegation to the bilateral talks included the Minister of Construction and Engineering Services, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hussein A. Bhaila, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Faiszer Musthapha, Foreign Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohona, as well as Secretaries and senior officials of line Ministries and relevant State Agencies. The UAE Foreign Minister also held a separate meeting at the Foreign Ministry with the Minister of Power & Energy, John Seneviratne.

-Sri Lanka Guardian