Sri Lanka's UN envoy in Geneva has met with Swiss business leaders to explore stronger commercial ties, highlighting untapped potential for investment and trade between the two countries.

Sri Lanka has initiated efforts to deepen its commercial relationship with Switzerland through diplomatic engagement focused on business-to-business cooperation. Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake, who represents Sri Lanka at the United Nations in Geneva, met with Vincent Subilia, the head of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services, to discuss expanding trade and investment opportunities between the two nations.

During the meeting, Ambassador Dassanayake presented an overview of Sri Lanka's recent economic progress and outlined significant potential for bilateral commerce that remains underdeveloped. He emphasized that converting the countries' longstanding diplomatic relations into concrete economic partnerships would require stronger engagement between private sector entities in both nations. The discussion covered possibilities for formalising institutional cooperation, including a potential chamber-to-chamber agreement, coordinated business delegations, and networking initiatives with Sri Lankan trade authorities.

A notable element of the engagement was the promotion of Sri Lanka Expo 2027, a major trade event scheduled for January next year in Colombo. Ambassador Dassanayake invited Swiss and Geneva-based businesses to participate, presenting the expo as an opportunity to identify new trade, investment, and partnership possibilities. Director General Subilia indicated willingness to support these initiatives by circulating information about the expo and emerging business opportunities to the chamber's membership.

The meeting, which included participation from Sri Lanka's WTO representative R.G.S. Wijesekara and CCIG's international affairs head Arthur Lusenti, was characterised by both sides as an initial foundation for sustained, practical cooperation aimed at facilitating direct connections between businesses in the two countries.