WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1993
AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH SRI LANKA
THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF A NETWORK OF FREE-STANDING HONG KONG AIR SERVICES AGREEMENTS IS CRUCIAL TO THE MAINTENANCE OF HONG KONG'S STATUS AS A CENTRE OF INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL AVIATION, THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MRS ANSON CHAN, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE SIGNING CEREMONY OF THE HONG KONG/SRI LANKA AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT, MRS CHAN SAID THE AGREEMENT WAS THE NINTH AGREEMENT SIGNED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, ACTING UNDER SPECIFIC AUTHORISATION FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT.
MRS CHAN SAID THE SIGNING OF THESE AGREEMENTS WAS FULLY CONSISTENT WITH THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION.
THEY WERE ENTERED INTO WITH THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, AND WERE CAPABLE OF REMAINING IN FORCE BEYOND 1997, SHE NOTED.
UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION WILL, ALSO BE ABLE AFTER 1997 TO CONCLUDE, UNDER SPECIFIC AUTHORISATIONS FROM THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT,
OWN AIR SERVICES AGREEMENTS SEPARATE FROM THOSE OF CHINA.
ITS
MRS CHAN SAID DIRECT AIR LINKS BETWEEN SRI LANKA AND HONG KONG HAD BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR OVER A DECADE, SINCE AIR LANKA BEGAN OPERATING FROM COLOMBO TO HONG KONG IN 1981.
"IN RECENT YEARS, WE HAVE WELCOMED A GROWING NUMBER OF SRI LANKA VISITORS TO HONG KONG WHICH HAVE INCREASED FROM SOME 5,500 IN 1990 TO OVER 7,000 IN THE FIRST 11 MONTHS OF 1992.
"BILATERAL TRADE BETWEEN HONG KONG/SRI LANKA IS ALSO INCREASING. FOR EXAMPLE, THE TOTAL VALUE OF EXPORTS FROM HONG KONG TO SRI LANKA WAS ABOUT HK$1.3 BILLION IN 1989. A FIGURE WHICH HAS INCREASED TO HK$ 2.2 BILLION IN 1992," SHE SAID.
REPRESENTING THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA AT THE CEREMONY, AIR CHIEF MARSHAL MR A W FERNANDO, SECRETARY TO THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENSE IN SRILANKA SAID THE SRI LANKA GOVERNMENT EARNESTLY HOPED THAT THE FORMAL SIGNING OF THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES WOULD FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE AVIATION RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO PLACES.
"AT PRESENT AIR LANKA THE DESIGNATED CARRIER OF SRI LANKA OPERATES TWICE WEEKLY SCHEDULED SERVICES FROM COLOMBO TO HONG KONG AND VICE VERSA, MR FERNANDO SAID.
"
/THE HONG