Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama has recently stated that the Sri Lankan government will hold ministerial level talks with China to review and iron out argumentative issues in the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries.
He also mentioned that he would seek a meeting either in Beijing or here in August to discuss how to proceed with the FTA with China.
The FTA was initiated by the Rajapaksa regime. The two sides also appointed negotiating teams. However, after the new government took office in 2015 there was a huge change.
The government recently signed a FTA with Singapore and had held several rounds of talks with India for an Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA). Sri Lanka has already pledged its support to China’s Belt and Road initiative.
