Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris has highlighted the importance Sri Lanka attaches to strengthening relations with Bangladesh especially economic cooperation.
The Minister made this observation during a courtesy call by the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Sri Lanka Tareq Md. Ariful Islam at the Foreign Ministry on Thursday.
The Minister, while recalling the strong relations between the two countries thanked the Government of Bangladesh for the continued support and cooperation extended to Sri Lanka in multilateral fora, particularly at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The Minister also discussed a wide range of bilateral matters with High Commissioner Ariful Islam including joint tourism ventures, sharing intelligence in combating and countering terrorism and expansion of trade within the region.
Considering the vast potential of trade in the South Asian region, Foreign Minister Peiris highlighted the need for both countries to work in close collaboration to reap the benefits of international and regional trade pacts, especially in the apparel sector, as Bangladesh is one of the top manufacturers of high quality garments.The Bangladesh High Commissioner emphasized the importance of enhancing shipping cooperation between the two countries and the early conclusion of the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), as tangible measures to boost bilateral trade relations in the years ahead.
The celebration of the 50th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh next year was also discussed during the meeting.
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