A high‑level discussion was held this morning at the Presidential Secretariat between a World Bank delegation led by Gevorg Sargsyan, Country Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Chief of Staff to the President, on the project to develop Colombo Fort as a tourist zone under World Bank loans and assistance.
The talks also reviewed matters raised during a previous meeting chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, which focused on developing Colombo Fort as a tourist hub while preserving its historical heritage.
World Bank representatives said they were prepared to extend support not only for tourism but also for achieving national targets in agriculture, ports and supply services, and energy.
Attention was further drawn to the potential contribution towards the Colombo Fort project, the promotion of nature‑based tourism, and the development of tourism in the Northern and Eastern provinces.
The meeting was also attended by Stephan Massing, Senior Operations Officer of the World Bank unit for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and Asela Dissanayake, Senior Operations Officer of the World Bank delegation. (Newswire)