President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s planned official visit to France, scheduled for July 16, has reportedly been cancelled, according to reliable sources familiar with the matter who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
No official announcement has yet been made by the Presidential Media Division (PMD) or the Government of France regarding the reported cancellation.
The PMD had previously announced that President Dissanayake would undertake the visit at the invitation of the French Government, with discussions expected to focus on strengthening bilateral relations and attracting increased French investment to Sri Lanka.
The visit was also expected to include a meeting between President Dissanayake and Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CMA CGM, one of the world’s largest maritime transport and logistics companies.
French Ambassador to Sri Lanka Rémi Lambert had earlier said French businesses were showing growing interest in investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. During a recent meeting with Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunatilake, a French investor delegation led by Ambassador Lambert discussed potential investments in the Port of Colombo.
CMA CGM Executive Vice President Christine Cabau said the company was exploring opportunities to expand cargo volumes through joint venture investments and was conducting feasibility studies for the second phase of the West Container Terminal development project.
The reason for the reported cancellation has not yet been disclosed. Neither the Presidential Media Division nor French authorities had issued an official statement confirming or denying the reported cancellation at the time of publication.
