Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe speaks at the inauguration of the SAARC (the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Trade Fair and Investment Forum in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Sept. 6, 2017. Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Wednesday that his country will soon be well connected in South Asia with the development of its ports, airports and roads. SAARC's investment forum this year aims at nurturing greater economic and social cooperation within the group. (Xinhua/Pradeep Pathirana)
COLOMBO, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Wednesday that his country will soon be well connected in South Asia with the development of its ports, airports and roads.
Speaking at the inauguration of the SAARC (the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Trade Fair and Investment Forum in Colombo, Wickremesinghe said that while Sri Lanka had fought a 30-year civil war, it was time it caught up with emerging markets in South Asia and became a hub in the Indian Ocean.
"Sri Lanka is committed to its development and ensuring a strong connectivity within the island and also in the Indian Ocean."
"We have a plan. It is a question of how fast we move. It depends on the investments we get. We are confident of getting the investments," the prime minister said.
Explaining Sri Lanka's ambitious plan on implementing a strong connectivity, Wickremesinghe said his government was looking at developing the Colombo Port further, developing the Hambantota and Trincomalee Ports and further developing its Bandaranaike and Mattala International Airports.
"So we have three ports and two international airports. We have already had the Bandaranaike International Airport and we hope to make operational the Mattala International airport by the end of the year or early next year."
He further said the island country was also in the process of completing its expressways which would connect the south, Central Hills and the airport in Katunayake to the capital.
Sri Lanka was also in the process of upgrading its telecommunication facilities including strengthening its Wi-Fi system so it could reach the rural areas, the prime minister said.
SAARC's investment forum this year aims at nurturing greater economic and social cooperation within the group.
