Inaugural Talks under Sri Lanka and Australia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement

Inaugural talks under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) between Sri Lanka and Australia were held on 19^th April in Canberra at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

This was the first bilateral discussion taking place after the TIFA was signed in Colombo on 2 November 2017, during the visit of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The agenda encompassed discussions on economic reform and cooperation, free trade and regional trade agreement agendas, market access and investment facilitation and sector specific opportunities for investment in both countries.

These discussions are expected to pave the way for regular review of trade and investment matters of bilateral interest and further discussion between stakeholders in the two countries.

Ms Kathy Klugman, First Assistant Secretary, South and West Asia Branch of DFAT led the Australia delegation which also included officials from Austrade, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources and Export Finance and Insurance Corporation, as well as the Australian High Commission in Colombo.

The Sri Lankan delegation was led by Additional Secretary (Development) of the Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade Mr W.A.D. Gunasinghe, and included Mr. K.J. Weerasinghe, Chief Negotiator of FTAs, other senior officials from the Ministry of Development Strategies & International Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Sri Lanka Export Development Board, the Board of Investments, and the Sri Lanka High Commission in Canberra. The Department of Commerce was represented by Consul (Commercial) in Sydney.