Mar 14, 2011 (LBO) – A German delegation headed by a Sri Lankan-born official from the port of Hamburg held talks with Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) on assistance and collaboration between the two harbours, a statement said. The construction of the breakwater of the Colombo Port Expansion Project is on schedule and is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The visiting teams also inspected a new port under construction next to the existing Colombo harbour which is meant to expand container handling capacity and is expected to start operations by early 2013, it said.
The German team was headed by Ian Kiru Karan, state minister (senator) for economic affairs and labour, city of Hamburg in Germany, who was born in the northern Sri Lankan town of Point Pedro.
Karan had talks with SLPA chairman Priyath Wickrama on extending assistance and support and on collaboration through port-related activities between Hamburg and Colombo, the statement said.