Sri Lanka will push for a free trade agreement with the Untied States and China to further economic benefits the Deputy Economic Development Minister, Harsha De Silva told press.
Speaking at a forum of exporters in Colombo, De Silva said,
“The US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is something we need to aggressively push. We have already started talking to some people on it.”
De Silva added that Sri Lanka’s foreign policy should be tied to trade,
“Foreign policy and trade policy cannot be in two separate silos. We cannot say the Europeans and Americans are conspiring to throw the government over when at the same time our exports are going to Europe and the United States.”
De Silva added that Sri Lanka’s United National Party (UNP), had built close ties with China, and that a planned trade agreement would be used to expand trade with other countries, reports economynext.com.
Speaking at a forum of exporters in Colombo, De Silva said,
“The US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is something we need to aggressively push. We have already started talking to some people on it.”
De Silva added that Sri Lanka’s foreign policy should be tied to trade,
“Foreign policy and trade policy cannot be in two separate silos. We cannot say the Europeans and Americans are conspiring to throw the government over when at the same time our exports are going to Europe and the United States.”
De Silva added that Sri Lanka’s United National Party (UNP), had built close ties with China, and that a planned trade agreement would be used to expand trade with other countries, reports economynext.com.