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15th Annual General Meeting

The 15th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council was held on the 21 August at the Hilton Colombo Residences Colombo.
The Council, which focuses on the objectives of “promoting investment, trade and joint ventures between Sri Lanka and Italy,” comes under the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
The Chief Guest of the event, Italian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Fabrizio Arpea, speaking during the occasion said that the business relationship between Sri Lanka and Italy has benefited greatly through the Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council.
He said the work done by the Council has helped improve bilateral trade, investments, tourism and industrial cooperation between the two nations.
Sri Lanka’s exports to Italy mainly consist of machinery and equipment. Ambassador Arpea also mentioned that he looks forward to the future support of the Council for various activities and also stated that the High Commission looks forward to support the Council in all its activities.
Hellmann Worldwide Logistics Ltd. Managing Director Tania Polonnowita Wettimuny was elected as the President of the Council for the year 2014/2015. She mentioned that the incoming Committee would focus its attention on encouraging joint ventures between Sri Lanka and Italy, conduct match-making events between firms in both countries and also work with the relevant diplomatic missions to help boost commercial relationship between the two countries.
Allied Trading and Engineering Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Rajah Abeyasinghe JP and Mackinnons American Express Travel Chief Operating Officer Sonali Liyanamana were appointed as Vice Presidents of the Council.
AuusAfrasia Designer Tiles Ltd. CEO/Managing Director Daya Ratnaayake will serve as the immediate Past President.
The following members were elected to the Committee of the Sri Lanka-Italy Business Council: The Autodrome PLC Joint Managing Director Rajeev Aloysius; Lanka Tiles PLC Managing Director Mahendra Jayasekera; Spear International Ltd. Chairman / Managing Director Shamil Mendis;  John Keells Holdings PLC Vice President Yohan Peries; DFCC Vardhana Bank PLC Head of Remittances and FCBU Operations Harsha de Alwis; Ally Weerasinghe Ltd. Managing Director Avindra Weerasinghe; EuroSports Auto Lanka Ltd. General Manager Anushka Polonowita; A Baur & Co. Ltd. Director Janaka Gunasekera.
Membership of the Council is open to individuals, partnerships, companies, corporations or other organizations engaged in trade, tourism and services with Italy, engaged in joint ventures with Italian organisations or interested in entering into or promoting trade, tourism, services or joint ventures with Italian organisations.

 

Seated from left: Sonali Liyanamana, Mackinnons American Express Travel, Vice President SLItBC; Anisha Dias Mack, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce; Daya Ratnaayake, AuusAfrasia Designer Collection Ltd., Immediate Past President; Tania Polonnowita Wettimuny, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics Ltd., President SLItBC; Fabrizio Pio Arpea, Ambassador, Embassy of Italy; Rajah Abeyasinghe, Allied Trading & Engineering Ltd., Vice President SLItBC; Ranjit Jayewardene, Ranmal International Ltd., Past President SLItBC. Standing from left: Anushka Polonowita, EuroSports Auto Lanka Ltd., Avindra Weerasinghe, Ally Weerasinghe Ltd.; Dr. Giandomenico Milano, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Italy in Sri Lanka; Yohan Peries, John Keells Holdings PLC; Shamil Mendis, Spear International Ltd.; Harsha de Alwis, DFCC Vardhana Bank PLC; Janaka Gunasekera, A Baur & Co. Ltd.; Mahendra Jayasekera, Lanka Walltiles PLC. Not in the picture: Rajeev Aloysius, The Autodrome PLC

EU - Sri Lanka Trade Lane & its Development

Sri Lanka - Italy Business Council of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce invited members and non - members for a Panel Discussion and Luncheon meeting, which was held at The Victorian, The Kingsbury Hotel, No. 48, Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo 01 commencing at 12.00 noon.

The Panel consisted of:

•  Mr Roshan Lyman, Head of Trade Section, Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the    Maldives
•  Mr. R.D.S. Kumararatne, Director General of Commerce, Department of Commerce Sri Lanka
•  Mr. Giandomenico Milano, First Secretary/Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Italy
   

The participants observed that they had learned much on Italy, on doing business with Italy as well as the strengths that Sri Lanka has to exploit.

With H.E. Fabrizio Pio Arpea, Italian Ambassador in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka - Italy Business Council of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, in association with the Sri Lanka Italy Friendship Society  extended a warm invitation to members and non - members for a Christmas Fellowship to welcome in the festive season. There were Christmas Carols, fellowship, good wine and food. The Ambassador and the two Presidents of the two Associations thanked the sponsors, and the over 100 participants for their patronage.