The next round of talks on India’s Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with Sri Lanka is due to be held in October reports the Dailymirror.lk.
A source close to the ETCA negotiation team said,
“progress is likely after the next round of talks in October. Service liberalisation is a difficult point coming up for discussions.”
Speaking at the inauguration of the Indian Ocean Conference organised by the India Foudnation in Colombo, India’s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said a revitalised maritime economy in the iNdian
Ocean would be a force for global economic growth, adding,
“We see the Indian Ocean as not just a water body, but a global stage for continued economic, social and cultural dialogue.”
The ETCA discussions started after a break down in earlier talsk around a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two nations due to high levels of opposition in the Sinhala south of the island.
