The Presidential Media Division has announced that the fourth round of negotiations on the proposed Sri Lanka-Thailand Free Trade Agreement (SLTFTA) to be signed next year (2024) began in Colombo on the 27th.
It is the hope of President Ranil Wickremesinghe to improve economic relations with the countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which are large and emerging economies.
Accordingly, the purpose of Sri Lanka’s negotiations is not only to increase the Thai market access for Sri Lankan exports, but also to improve the market access of other ASEAN countries through that market, as well as to reduce the existing non-tariff barriers.
A delegation of 35 Thai officials headed by Mrs. Auramon Supathaweethum, Director General of the Thai Trade Negotiations Department arrived in Sri Lanka on March 26 to participate in the 4th round of negotiations.
At the same time, more than 500 bowls were offered to the Gangarama Temple by the Thai delegation, further strengthening the long-standing religious and cultural ties between the two countries.
Chief Negotiator of the Presidential Secretariat K. J. Mr. Weerasinghe led the National Trade Negotiations consisting of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Food Security, Ministry of Industry, Department of Trade and Investment Policy, Attorney General’s Department, Department of Commerce, Department of Agriculture, Central Bank of Sri Lanka and Board of Investment of Sri Lanka. The committee is participating in the discussions representing Sri Lanka.
According to the report, the fourth round of negotiations on the Sri Lanka-Thailand Free Trade Agreement is scheduled to end today (29).
