Mahinda and Namal attends Sri Lanka Promo Seminar in Tokyo
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- Created on Monday, 12 March 2012 19:29
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A Sri Lanka Promotional Seminar and Dinner Reception was held on Friday (09) at the Happo-en Hotel in Tokyo with over 160 business and corporate leaders, potential investors, and invitees from the travel, tourism and tea trades in attendance.
The Seminar was jointly organized by the Sri Lanka Tea Board, the Department of Commerce, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Tokyo, as an investment, tourism and tea promotion seminar.
Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Plantation Industries and Namal Rajapaksa, Member of Parliament and Special Envoy of H.E.the President attended the Seminar along with Priyankara Jayaratne, Minister of Civil Aviation, B.A.Vijitha, Member of Parliament, Roshan Ranasinghe,
Member of Parliament, K.Amunugama, Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, senior officials and ministry executives, including Ms.Janaki Kuruppu, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tea Board and Dr.Gerry Jayawardena of the Sri Lanka Tea Research Board, Kamal Ratwatte, Vice Chairman of Airport
& Aviation Services Ltd, Kapila Chandrasena, CEO of Sri Lankan Airlines, and business invitees from Sri Lanka. Tetsuo Morimoto, Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan attended the forum as Chief Guest.
The gathering which also marked the commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of Sri Lanka-Japan Diplomatic relations was organised in line with Sri Lanka’s continued participation at the Foodex Exhibition held from 6th to 9th March in Chiba.
Delivering the welcome and opening address, Ambassador Admiral (Rtd.) Wasantha Karannagoda spoke of the strong bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Japan, which would be further strengthened having reached this significant milestone of 60 years of Diplomatic Relations this year in 2012. Ambassador Karannagoda stressed the assistance extended to Sri Lanka by Japan at the time of Tsunami in 2004 and how the Government and people of Sri Lanka were quick to assist at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11th 2011. The
Ambassador also emphasised the investment opportunities and other economic potentials now available in Sri Lanka for Japanese Investors.
Also addressing the gathering, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Plantation Industries, stated the importance in expanding the promotion of Ceylon Tea as well as promoting Sri Lanka as a lucrative investment and tourist destination. The Minister invited Japanese investors to come to Sri Lanka as the country now is benefiting the dividends of peace after eradicating terrorism two years ago under the leadership of His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka.
Presentations were conducted on the “Promotional Aspect of Ceylon Tea” by Ms.Janaki Kuruppu, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tea Board, the “Health Aspect of Ceylon Tea” by Dr.Gerry Jayawardena of the Sri Lanka Tea Research Board, “Ports & Aviation infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka” by Kamal Ratwatte, Vice Chairman of Airport & Aviation Services Ltd and on “Sri Lanka Tourism”by Ms.Yuko Yamabayashi of Support-Net.
Yasuyuki Abe, Chairman of the Japan Tea Association in his presentation demonstrated the health aspects of black tea and how black tea consumers will be prevented from catching the influenza virus due to its richness of health properties called polyphenols which has a number of hydroxyl groups. The Chairman urged the invitees to drink more black tea due to its health properties.
