The issuance of special identity cards for members of the Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council to ease the process of getting visas for Sri Lankan members was raised at the recent AGM of the Council held in Colombo.
In response, Rubens Anna Fedele, Ambassador Designate for Italy in Sri Lanka who was the chief guest at the meeting, said they are unable to endorse such special ID cards and that in his view and experience it would or would not work as everything depended on the immigration officer who deals with the passenger.
Mr Fedele said that they are very concerned about the relationship between the European Union and Sri Lanka and noted the case of GSP+ affecting some of the business between Sri Lanka and Italy. He said that though they are very much concerned and understand the problem, they are helpless because they are a member of the EU.
He said that nevertheless, wherever possible they are striving to help the Sri Lankan entrepreneurs to trade with Italy and he inquired whether there are any difficulties that are encountered by those trading partner members. He answered several queries and explained their position in such instances.
Ranjith Jayawardene, who was re-elected as the President of the Sri Lanka Italy Business Council indicated that there is a 4% growth in trading activity in 2009 compared to the previous year, between Sri Lanka and Italy. He said that exports to Italy in2008 was US $ 420 million while in 2009 it was US$ 438 million whereas a decline in imports were registered in that the imports for 2008 was US$ 219 million whereas the figure for 2009 is only US$ 158 million. |
E-mail
