Sri Lanka's business chambers signed a trade pact with the Maldives, while the government advanced plans to operationalize Mattala Airport and restructure SriLankan Airlines. Concurrently, the US appointed a new ambassador and regional scholars discussed evolving geopolitical dynamics.
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and Maldives Business Chamber have established a formal partnership aimed at strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties. The memorandum of understanding, signed by chamber leaders Krishan Balendra and Ahmed Amjad, creates a framework for business-to-business connections and market intelligence sharing across sectors including tourism, logistics, construction, healthcare, and financial services.
On the infrastructure front, Sri Lanka is advancing efforts to revitalize underutilized assets. The government is evaluating 19 proposals to operationalize Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, with a formal request for proposals expected within two months, according to Deputy Minister Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku. The airport, inaugurated in 2013 with over 200 million US dollars in investment, has struggled financially despite its capacity to handle large aircraft and one million annual passengers. A previous management agreement with an Indian-Russian joint venture was cancelled after both firms faced US blacklisting. The facility's revival is seen as crucial for regional tourism and logistics development.
In aviation, the government is simultaneously reviewing a private turnaround proposal from Hong Kong-based Transwell Corporation for struggling state-run SriLankan Airlines. The airline accumulated losses of 631.5 billion rupees by August 2025, exacerbated by significant currency depreciation. A government-appointed committee has six months to submit restructuring recommendations before any formal market bidding process begins.
Internationally, Eric Meyer has been sworn in as the new US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, succeeding Julie J Chung. Meyer, a career senior foreign service officer with extensive South and Central Asia experience, assumes leadership as the US deepens partnerships in the region. Meanwhile, scholars at a memorial oration discussed global power realignments, with former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga arguing that the Global South must embrace strategic hedging and multi-alignment to protect national interests amid geopolitical uncertainty.
