'One Belt, One Road' will benefit Sri Lanka: PM

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who is on an official visit to Beijing said China’s ‘One Belt One Road’ would help Sri Lanka to become a hub of the Indian Ocean.

He said this at the high level talks on ‘One Belt One Road’ programme in Beijing.

The Prime Minister said development in Asia depends on freedom of maritime navigation in the Indian Ocean. “It is important to establish peaceful non military ties among the countries in the region. Therefore it is essential to establish multilateral trade ties based on a commercial basis,” he said.

He said Sri Lanka expects to become a hub in the Indian Ocean using its strategic location.

The Prime Minister said all countries that are part of the ‘One Belt One Road’ programme should strive towards ensuring its success. He said the off shore financial city is a part of the ‘One Belt One Road’ programme. He called for the cooperation of all the countries involved in the project to achieve the intended targets.

Chinese President XI Jinping said all countries should come together because no single nation would be able to overcome the global challenges that have arisen today. He said ‘One Belt One Road’ did not belong to one group but to the whole world.

More than 30 heads of state and institutions participated at the talks.