Samarawickrama backs Government's stance on FTAs

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Addressing an event yesterday (June 19), Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama backed the government's stance on free trade agreements (FTA). The minister was speaking at the inauguration of Strategic Networking Reception of the Sri Lanka Investment and Business Conclave 2018 organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. Minister Samarawickrama said the key priority of the country right now is attracting foreign direct investment.He went on to say discussions with China on an FTA are ongoing and they intend commencing negotiations with Thailand in the coming month. Minister of finance and mass media Mangala Samaraweera speaking at the event highlighted the difficulty the Government is facing in balancing public investments and debt servicing. He noted that Sri Lanka is in the process of implementing comprehensive unilateral trade liberalization. Minister Samaraweera believes that the Government's policy of entering into FTAs would enable Sri Lanka to meaningful integrate into regional value chains inorder to drive future trade and economic growth