Sri Lanka will be a very important trade and investment partner for the UK in the post-Brexit phase, Chairman Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, Lord Jonathan Marland of Odstock said.
He was speaking at a reception held at the Kingsbury Hotel, Colombo in his honour by Chevalier Niranjan De S Deva Aditya, Member of the European Parliament (1999-2019) and UK Parliament (1993-1997).
Lord Marland said Sri Lanka and the UK enjoy excellent trade and diplomatic relations which will assume even greater significance as part of the United Kingdom’s post Brexit “Global Britain” strategy (the UK exited the European Union on January 31). While Europe will still be an important partner for the UK, it is now vigorously cultivating enhanced trade relations with the rest of the world including Asia, he added.
Marland, who said the UK was re-entering the global stage with due recognition given to the rising power of youth-led SMEs around the world in trade issues, predicted that business to business as well as people to people contact between the UK and Sri Lanka would blossom in the years ahead. He noted that the two countries also share a great passion for cricket – the England cricket team will be touring Sri Lanka in March, which also means that the Barmy Army (hardcore English cricket fans) will descend on these shores in their thousands. This will be a major boost for tourism, he noted.
Marland, who recalled that he was in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday 2019, told the gathering that Sri Lanka would emerge stronger from this tragedy. “Sri Lankans are resilient in the face of adversity and I have no doubt that they will become stronger and even more united.”
Jonathan Marland is one of the leading businessmen in Britain and former Treasurer of the Conservative Party. He served as the Minister for Trade and Minister for Climate Change. He is a founding director of Jardine Lloyd Thompson plc, the multinational insurance business and AppleClaim, the major insurance company at Lloyd’s of London.
He acquired Hunter Wellington Boots and Insurance Capital Partners. Lord Marland is Chairman of Jubilee Holdings Ltd and a director of Insurance Capital Partners Ltd, TestMatchExtra.com Ltd and Wisden Cricketer Publishing Ltd.
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