Australia and Sri Lanka A growing partnership

his is an exciting time to be in Sri Lanka.
I know full well the potential of this region having worked elsewhere in South Asia and been closely involved in Australia’s effort to energise the Indian Ocean Rim Association. I now have the honour of serving as Australia’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and of  building further on the already rich and diverse ties between our two countries.
Australia is situated at the confluence of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, with strong interests in trade, investment and strategic developments to our north, west and east. The Indo-Pacific in 2016 is at the heart of our foreign policy. And Sri Lanka is an important partner in the region.
Australia’s and Sri Lanka’s interests are converging. We share an abiding interest in the stability and prosperity of the Indian Ocean region. We’re both trading nations with a big stake in the openness of global markets and the smooth passage of goods around the world. 
We’ve both enjoyed a good run of economic growth, and share export profiles that are slowly shifting from merchandise to services. And we both see value in building regional arrangements that foster a culture of cooperation. 

And of course we share an interest in the regulation of global migration. I’ll be looking to build on these converging interests – one Indian Ocean state to another.
Our trade relationship carries within it a host of interesting stories. From the barramundi fingerlings that travel from Australia to Sri Lanka for rearing. Or the Sri Lankan coconut water that refreshes the health conscious joggers at Bondi Beach. 
The fact that 70 per cent of Australia’s lentils are exported to Sri Lanka – and a few of them return to Australia once processed. Australian technology, being used to add value in the Sri Lankan tea industry.  The growing number of Sri Lankan students choosing to study in Australian universities – now over 6,000 - or who expand their career options through Australian courses delivered in Colombo.  
And the growing tourism flow between our countries. I’ll be putting my energy into expanding this trade relationship in the coming years. Our two way trade has grown strongly to $A910 million. We’re aiming for $A1 billion this year. And there is no reason we can’t build on that further in coming years.
I support those in Sri Lanka who seek a more open economy. To be a hub, Sri Lanka needs to be an exporter and an importer. And that means some hard decisions need to be taken on tariff and other barriers to imports. Australia would like to see a reduction in the tariff and tax applied to Australian wine and fine foods – we believe revenue would grow as tourists and domestic consumers access higher quality wines at better prices. This would support Sri Lanka’s goal of becoming a high-end tourist market.
I mentioned this is a great time to be in Sri Lanka. And that’s because, seven years on from the conflict, Sri Lanka is well placed to make good on its strategic location, natural endowments and well educated and welcoming people. That is not to say all is perfect. Nowhere is. We stand with Sri Lanka as you consider important economic, social and political reforms. Reform is always difficult, but these reforms are important preconditions for Sri Lanka’s future social stability and prosperity. 
We are ready to help with advice and support, including drawing on our own experience and expertise. But we know these are ultimately matters for Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans to consider and decide.
Australia has been a long-term consistent friend to Sri Lanka. We’ve delivered development assistance here since the early 1950s. Over 1000 Sri Lankan students have studied in Australian universities on scholarship. 

"Australia and Sri Lanka’s interests are converging. We share an abiding interest in the stability and prosperity of the Indian Ocean region. We’re both trading nations with a big stake in the openness of global markets and the smooth passage of goods around the world."

We intend to continue this tradition of adding to Sri Lanka’s intellectual stock, ensuring that Sri Lanka has the skills, knowledge and ideas to take on whatever the future brings. Since the conflict ended, we’ve delivered over $250 million in assistance to help communities recover and get back on their feet.
Now we’re shifting the focus of our development assistance towards labour skills development, tourism sector development, national economic reform, local government reform and gender equality. We’ll deliver over $30 million in assistance this year. 
Many countries provide Sri Lanka with concessional loans for development but Australia remains one of the largest contributors of grant aid.
The Australian cricket team is visiting mid-year. And every week we have visiting Australian delegations, from architects, to young law students, to female cricket teams, potential investors, medical professionals, university leaders, prominent members of the Sri Lankan diaspora in Australia. 
The relationship between our communities is so rich, and clearly going to grow.
I’m looking forward to working with President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, ministers and officials, business leaders, civil society and the Sri Lankan community to take the relationship between our two countries to the next level.
And because it’s 2016, you’ll be able to follow me and the High Commission on twitter 
(@ausHCSriLanka) and Facebook.