By Naveed Miraj and Ahmed Mukhtar Naqshbandi
ISLAMABAD: Sri Lanka is exploring further avenues to lure Pakistani tourists to the country, said High Commissioner of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Vice Admiral Mohan Wijewickrama.
He also sought Pakistani people to switch over to Sri Lankan tea from the one being imported from Africa as he exclusively talked to WeNews here in Islamabad. High Commissioner Vice Admiral Mohan Wijewickrama has been in Islamabad for the last three years.
Sri Lanka had 2.5 million tourists coming to the beautiful island which fell to 1.4 million in recent months. The country wants to bring balance of payment at par with Pakistan by luring more tourists from Pakistan which now prefer going to Malaysia, Thailand, UAE and other regional tourist destinations.
Sri Lanka had not a single terror attack in years now except the one involving foreign elements. It has now a very peaceful situation out there, remarked Wijewickrama. It was his first experience of travelling on a wider road as the Motorway as he traveling from Lahore to Islamabad through Motorway after landing in the provincial capital during the Covid time some three years back.
A keen fan of cricket and Pakistani cricketers, Wijewickrama had been vying to strike a balance in trade between Sri Lanka and Pakistan after signing Free-Trade Agreement (FTA). It is likely to bring the trade to $ 3 billion as it had remained below $ 500 million as yet and largely in favour of Pakistan.
Pakistan imports pan (beetle leaves), chipboard, electrical appliances from Sri Lanka, while the country exports basmati rice, pharmaceutical products, cotton and other goods to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, which came out of the war on terror much before the other nations, also sees brighter prospects of bilateral defence cooperation as its Navy has close ties with Pakistan and largely participates annual Aman exercises of the Pakistan Navy. Sri Lanka also sends its naval officers to train in Pakistan every year.
The naval and defence cooperation between Sri Lanka and Pakistan exudes good relations between the two nations while both have been seen in a frequent display of unanimity of views on most of international issues.
Though Sri Lankan Foreign Policy is based on ‘non-aligned’ or “neutral” and it favours peace and stability. “We are friends of all and enemy to none,” said the High Commissioner.
Talking about SAARC, Mr Wijewickrama opined that the size of SAARC economy is bigger than ASEAN but, he added, if it becomes functional, it can also serve one of the largest regions. Sri Lankan High Commissioner also seemed interested in making a request to Pakistani tea-lovers to switch to and taste Sri Lankan tea adding it might be somewhat costlier than African tea but will offer a good taste. He believed that Sri Lankan tea is hand-picked and good in quality.
The Sri Lankan dignitary explained the love of the country’s Muslim community especially for Pakistan as one of the main reasons for strong bonds between the two nations. He said Muslim population of Sri Lanka which is spread across the country are mostly the blood of Arab traders. He said Pakistan also keeps Sri Lankan people close to its heart, especially the Muslim population.
He was of the view that Cricket is also another bonding factor between the two nations. The Sri Lankan High Commissioner also recognized Pakistan’s achievements in other games as hockey and squash, saying the country had a big name in sports and had won many global tournaments across decades.
“The close relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka date back in history to the foundation years of the two countries. The two countries laid the foundation of their friendship in 1948 when Prime Minister of Sri Lanka DS Senanayake visited Karachi in Pakistan where he met Pakistan’s leadership at that time,” he said.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka have also historically cooperated at international forums. Both countries were members of the non-aligned movement (NAM), with Pakistan becoming a member in 1979.
Trade Data
In 2021, Sri Lanka exported goods valued at $105m to Pakistan. The main products that Sri Lanka exports to Pakistan are vegetable products ($20.4M), rubber ($9.32M), and asbestos Cement Articles ($8.87M). During the last 22 years, the exports of Sri Lanka to Pakistan have increased at an annual rate of 5.76%, from $30.5m in 1999 to $105m in 2021.
In 2021, Pakistan exported $430m to Sri Lanka. The main products that Pakistan exported to Sri Lanka were cement ($104m), heavy pre-woven cotton ($57.8m), and packaged medicaments ($35.3m). During the last 22 years, the exports of Pakistan to Sri Lanka have increased at an annual rate of 7.54%, from $86.9m in 1999 to $430m in 2021.
In 2021, Sri Lanka ranked 81st in the Economic Complexity Index (ECI -0.39) and 83 in total exports ($14.1B). The same year, Pakistan ranked 87 in the Economic Complexity Index (ECI -0.55) and 66 in total exports ($32.7B).
