Ambassador of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka visits CFC
H.E. Ms. Aruni Ranaraja, Ambassador of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Netherlands, is seen with Managing Director Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal at the Secretariat of the CFC. H.E. Ms. Aruni Ranaraja came to visit CFC, for the first time, to know more about the activities of the CFC and its impact on the ground. As a commodity dependent country, Sri Lanka, as stated by Amb. Ranaraja, takes CFC with utmost importance. Sri Lanka expressed their readiness to do more for their people as well as for all poor people in the region.
Ambassador Ranaraja was accompanied by Ms. S. Sasireha, Second Secretary at the Embassy. Ambassador Belal was accompanied by Ms. Sonja Timmer, Project Manager.
During the discussion, Ambassador Belal briefed Ambassador Ranaraja on the current as well as probable future initiatives of the CFC. Ambassador Belal elaborated on the elements, what he termed as green recovery in a post pandemic era, to help COVID-19 wrecked smallholder and SMEs to get to their feet at the earliest. Ambassador Belal wished to see more working relations and partnership with the countries in the days to come.
Ambassador Belal also briefed Ambassador Ranaraja on the ongoing initiative on the formulation of a fund titled CIIF (Commodity Impact Investment Facility) and thereby enabling CFC to contribute more for alleviation of poverty. Once formed, CIIF could also be an avenue for Sri Lanka to join this impact investment fund as an anchor investor.
Before taking leave, Ambassador Ranaraja assured that she will do her best to bring good project ideas from her country and the region as well as promoting the idea of impact investment as best as she could. Ambassador Belal urged Ambassador Ranaraja to disseminate the information with business chambers, Ministries, and enterprises so that qualified SMEs/enterprises could submit quality projects from Sri Lanka for consideration by the Executive Board of CFC, and to attend potential entrepreneurs from Sri Lanka to attend the CFC webinar sessions arranged for potential applicants to the CFC call for proposals.
Ambassador Belal assured to pursue more innovative outreaches in the days to come to make the services of CFC available to as many people as possible in the commodity dependent developing world, with a heightened sense of innovations and creativity.