Japan urges Sri Lanka to seize reform opportunity and boost bilateral ties
- CNL Reporter
- April 17, 2025
- Political
- Japan
- 0 Comments
As economic uncertainty looms globally, Sri Lanka should pursue strategic reforms, diversify exports, strengthen foreign investment and defend the global free trade system, said Japanese Ambassador Akio Isomata while pledging continued bilateral cooperation to support these efforts.
This discussion took place at an interactive members’ evening with the Japanese Ambassador on the topic of ‘Aligning Sri Lanka’s economic revival with opportunities in Japan’. The event was organised by the Sri Lanka Japan Business Council and Expo 2025 where, delivering a speech, Ambassador Isomata emphasised the gravity of the current global situation, urging for collaborative reform, innovation and resilience.
He stated that in the face of the economic turbulence created by the “US typhoon” (referring to the trade tensions and policy shifts that were seen and affecting the global markets), diplomacy, trade policy, and domestic reform were three key fronts where Sri Lanka, Japan, and other countries must focus on and act together. “.”
In terms of trade policy, he urged the country to diversify export goods, export destinations, and supply chains under strategic trade policies, suggesting that new or strengthened Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) could act as a buffer against external shocks from the current global economic environment
