Speaking at the event, the Norwegian Ambassador commended the work carried out and expressed great satisfaction with the cooperation with Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce and the Hambantota district. She emphasized that concluding the development assistance financially with the HDCC does not mean that the relationship between the two parties comes to an end. Nationwide, the Norwegian Embassy is actively working to promote trade and economic cooperation. Hopefully, Hambantota will be a part also of that endeavor.
Over the years, HDCC has shown good results in several areas, among others by providing support services to new businesses, by offering advisory services to existing businesses and by running programs encouraging youth to become entrepreneurs. The partners and beneficiaries of these undertakings were most eager to share their experiences with Ambassador Haraldstad.
During her visit to the south, Ambassador Hilde Haraldstad also participated in an award ceremony at the Siri Revetha Vocational Training Institute in Werehera. The institute is a partner organization of the World University Services of Canada (WUSC), under a project funded by the Norwegian Embassy. The Ambassador distributed certificates to students who had completed a Diploma on Photography and Electrical wiring. The objective of the project is to secure meaningful employment for youth in Matara and Hambantota.