Maithripala Sirisena

“ As one of the first post-colonial democracies in the world that actively worked towards Asian-African solidarity, South-South cooperation and Non Alignment, Sri Lanka’s engagement with Asian solidarity and cooperation has a long and proud history. While we walk the middle path in our foreign policy, we also extend our hand of friendship to all nations, and renew our engagement with the international community. We will continue to nurture our special friendship with countries in our Asian neighbourhood. ”

“ Asia has historically maintained its own values and identity. We must stand ready to harness the potential of the Asian community for collective benefit, and jointly explore the development path and model most suited to our specific circumstances. ”

“ Our approach to governanceis founded upon the bedrock of Theravada Buddhism, which is part of our valued Asian heritage, where all our neighbours are treated with compassion as one’s own family. It is an inclusive approach,which embraces diversity and pluralism. Sri Lanka, as a maritime nation with natural geographical advantages, will work in tandem with friendly countries to maintain cooperation in the maritime sphere. ”

“ The vast asymmetries among Asian economies need to be acknowledged and addressed in this process of cooperation. The larger economies in the region can play a catalytic role for progress of the smaller economies. Preferential market access must take into consideration economic asymmetries for such access to be viable and beneficial. Connectivity among nations and people, in terms of travel, trade, logistics and technology, will play a pivotal role in Asian integration and prosperity. ”

“ We are hopeful that our FTA with China, currently under negotiation, will provide further impetus for value addition and economic cooperation in the region. Our inbound tourism from Asia has increased significantly in the past several years. While Asian countries rank among the top investors in Sri Lanka, the Government is instituting reforms which will make the investment climate even more favourable, to attract investors across the globe. ”

“ The Asian region is also still largely dependent on extra-regional markets for its final exports, and lacks significant complementarities within the region. Such asymmetries curtail our efforts to translate our collective economic success into a greater voice on global trade, investment and finance. ”

“ The wealth of Asia, if measured in GDP per capita terms, differs widely among and within states. While Asia holds the majority of the world’s population, accounting for almost 60% of the estimated 7.2 billion, it is also home to a majority of the world’s poor. ”

“ Simplifying trade and reducing non-tariff barriers is vital in order to enhance connectivity. In a highly interdependent and complex world, our destiny is inter-twined, and determined by our common agenda and collective action. ”

“ Sri Lanka is currently identified as an economy with relatively high growth among emerging market economies. The country’s substantial growth in per capita terms in recent years is comparable to middle income economy levels. ”

“ It gives me great pleasure to participate in this august gathering,which brings together world leaders as well as the global business community upon a common platform fora constructive and mutually beneficial dialogue. Such a meeting of minds is most appropriate in the context of achieving our collective goal of prosperity and development for the people of Asia. ”

“ Despite such dynamism, grave challenges remain. While countries of Asia are home to a rich tapestry of shared historical and civilizational links, they are diverse in terms of socio-economic development, geographical size and natural resources. ”