The opening of the Representative Office in Colombo of the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIB) represents an instrument aimed at facilitating Romanian companies' access to the Sri Lankan market and supporting the development of bilateral economic relations, CCIB President Iuliu Stocklosa said within a meeting with the chargé d'affaires of the Romanian Embassy in Sri Lanka.

'On this occasion, the CCIB president presented the Chamber's activities in supporting international economic relations and the initiatives undertaken to facilitate direct contacts between Romanian companies and foreign partners, underscoring the interest in strengthening the relations with Sri Lanka. In this regard, the opening of the CCIB Representative Office in Colombo was highlighted as an instrument aimed at facilitating Romanian companies' access to the Sri Lankan market and supporting the development of bilateral economic relations. Mihaela Rutjens, who also attended the inauguration of the office in Colombo, welcomed the initiative, considering it an important step towards strengthening ties between the business communities of the two countries. The diplomat also underlined the high potential of bilateral relations, which extend beyond the labour force and can be expanded into areas such as tourism and education,' the a CCIB release sent to AGERPRES on Friday conveyed.

According to the quoted source, the meeting also covered Sri Lanka Expo 2027 - International Trade Exhibition, the largest trade fair in Sri Lanka, scheduled to take place from January 14 to 17, 2027, at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo.

'Open to companies and organisations from a wide range of sectors, the event represents an opportunity for Romanian companies interested in identifying new partners and exploring the local market, with their participation encouraged by the Romanian Embassy. The year 2027 will mark 70 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and Sri Lanka, a milestone considered by the two interlocutors to be an appropriate opportunity to step up institutional dialogue and prepare new cooperation initiatives. In this context, the possibility of organising a Romanian multisectoral business delegation to Sri Lanka was also discussed, to facilitate B2B meetings and help identify new areas of cooperation,' the release mentioned.

The meeting at the CCIB headquarters confirms the shared interest of both sides in turning this potential into concrete cooperation projects, to the benefit of the business communities in Romania and Sri Lanka, representatives of the Romanian institution conveyed. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Badea; EN - writing by: Rodica State)