Sri Lanka described a visit by a delegation from China as "high successful", following the 9th round of bilateral consultations between the two countries.
The event, co-chaired by Kshenuka Senewiratne, Secretary at Sri Lanka's Ministry of External Affairs and Liu Zhenmin, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, took place on 29 April.
"The multi-dimensional and deep-rooted bilateral partnership between the two countries was extensively reviewed during the consultations with special focus on extending the scope for cooperation for mutual benefit," said the Sri Lankan government's news portal today, adding that the "mandate for engagement between the two countries has been expanded, particularly in the four pillars of political, defence & security, economy and culture."
China's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs thanked Sri Lanka for supporting China's 'Maritime Silk Route' initiative, stressing that "the implementation of this concept, both countries would benefit in a number of key areas including fisheries and shipping", the state news portal reported.
Agreements were also made to initiate an annual defence dialogue, headed by the two Foreign Ministers, to aim to finalise Free Trade Agreement (FTA) proposals, and work on enhancing areas such as culture and tourism promotion.
Sri Lanka's President is attend the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building (CICA) in Shanghai on 20-21 May.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
