Bennett to lead trade delegation to Sri Lanka

Food Safety Minister David Bennett is today travelling to Sri Lanka with a New Zealand business delegation to further strengthen ties between the two countries.

“New Zealand’s relationship with Sri Lanka is stronger than ever, so this is an exciting time to travel with some of our business leaders and create new opportunities for our nations,” Mr Bennett says.

“Sri Lanka’s economy is thriving, with the potential for New Zealand to increase not only its commodity trade, but other sectors including aviation and healthcare.”

Sri Lanka has the richest per capita economy in South Asia. The capital, Colombo, has a large shipping port which services large freight lines that link to New Zealand via Singapore.

“New Zealand prides itself on being an outward looking nation, and this Government is relentlessly pursuing opportunities for more local businesses to succeed abroad,” Mr Bennett says.

“Our economy is growing well, is increasingly diversified, and building closer ties with nations like Sri Lanka is the best way to ensure we remain on this track.”