Aug 09, Colombo: Since achieving peace and stability three years ago, Sri Lanka has become an attractive destination for trade and tourism due to its strategic location in the center of international sea and air routes, Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa has said.

The Minister has made this remark Thursday during a discussion with the Undersecretary of state for oriental policy of Poland Jerzy Pomianowski at the Ministry.

Minister Rajapaksa has further pointed out that there is easy access to Middle East, Europe and other countries through Sri Lanka and the country has free trade agreements with India, Pakistan and all south Asian countries.

"Therefore international traders and investors have taken a keen interest in investing and developing trade relation with Sri Lanka," the Minister has noted.

Pomianowski, who has started his Foreign Service career as an UNESCO official, has drawn parallels between the economies of the two countries, Poland after ending the decade old socialist economic system and Sri Lanka after ending the 30-year long terrorism.

Now both countries can enjoy benefits of the new order by improving trade and investment relations between the two countries, the Polish official has said.

Polish tourists are now reluctant to visit traditional tourist destination such as Middle East after the political destabilization of those countries and they are interested in visiting in new attractive destination like Sri Lanka, Pomianowski has said.

During the discussions, both sides have agreed to exchange a trade and investment delegation to revive the bilateral relations and review the progress of the new projects between the two countries.

Minister Rajapaksa and the Polish undersecretary had agreed to make separate arrangements to promote Sri Lankan interest in Poland during the Warsaw Fair 2012. Sri Lanka will participate in the fair with government and privet sector institutions facilitating to organize some events related to investment, trade and tourism promotions of Sri Lanka.