On 9 August 2016, H.E. Mr. Nopporn Adchariyavanich, Ambassador of Thailand to Sri Lanka led Mr. Siva Mahasandana, Chief Executive Officer of Siam City Cement Company (SCCC), together with relevant Executives of the SCCC, to pay a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Maithripala Sirisena, President of Sri Lanka, for introducing the SCCC, which has recently taken over the Holcim (Lanka), a leading cement company in Sri Lanka. This investment of the SCCC is regarded as the biggest investment of a Thai company in Sri Lanka, which is approximately worth 370 million US dollar.

On this occasion, Ambassador Adchariyavanich briefed H.E. President Sirisena on the progress of enhanced economic cooperation between Thailand and Sri Lanka in various areas such as agriculture, construction, tourism and processed food, which has been made since the official visit to Thailand of H.E. President Sirisena in November 2015, and the official visit to Sri Lanka of H.E. Mr. Somkid Jatusripitak, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, in March 2016. Ambassador Adchariyavanich expected that the SCCC could be a sustainable partner of Sri Lanka. H.E. President Sirisena expressed his satisfaction with the progress and was pleased with the SCCC’s contribution to the development of the Sri Lankan economy.

In addition, Mr. Mahasandana stated that the SCCC’s investment in Sri Lanka would not only promote the development of Sri Lanka’s economy, which is growing with high potential, but also transfer appropriate technology to Sri Lanka in the construction area. Moreover, Mr. Mahasandana reiterated that the SCCC attached great importance to the sustainable development, which takes into account the sustainability of the environment, as well as the human resources development as part of the corporate’s policy of becoming a leading regional company.

Furthermore, Ambassador Adchariyavanich also led the group of the SCCC Executives to pay courtesy calls on Honourable Abdul Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industries and Commerce, and Honourable Malik Samarawickrama, Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade, to introduce the business of the SCCC, and seek blessing and guidance on doing business in Sri Lanka. Honourable Bathiudeen and Honourable Samarawickrama were very pleased with the SCCC’s decision to invest in Sri Lanka, and expressed their readiness to fully support the business of the SCCC, which would also benefit Sri Lanka.