A special official meeting between the Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Mr. Ramalingam Chandrasekar, and representatives of the Norwegian Embassy was held at the Ministry of Fisheries this morning (18).
The main objective of this meeting was to review the progress of the Minister’s recent official visit to Norway and to take the fisheries cooperation between the two countries to a new path.
The event was attended by Mr. Tormod Nuland, Second Secretary of the Norwegian Embassy and Mr. Mano Sekaram, Honorary Consul General of Norway in Sri Lanka. Representing the Government of Sri Lanka, the Secretary to the Ministry, Dr. B.K.Kolitha Kamal Jinadasa also participated in the discussion.
Speaking at the event, the Minister appreciated the long-standing friendship that has existed since 1971 through the Cey-Nor Foundation and stated that the government has planned to merge the two currently separate state-owned institutions, Cey-Nor and North-Sea, and reorganize them under modern technology. It is expected to transform the existing net manufacturing centers in Jaffna, Lunuwila and Weerawila into institutions with high –quality modern facilities by that measure.
Attention was also drawn to the introduction of green energy technologies such as battery energy and Hydrogen Cells to minimize the fuel costs in the fisheries sector. The Minister explained the possibility of establishing Joint Ventures with Norwegian companies utilizing the 44 EU-approved fish processing centers in Sri Lanka.
In addition, it was agreed to further extend the research projects underway with NARA and introduce Norway's "Disaster Preparedness Plan" to the country. The Minister also invited a Norwegian business group to visit Sri Lanka to study the investment potential in the country's fisheries sector.
