Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development, Sunil Handunneththi, engaged in a special discussion with the Ambassador of Nepal to Sri Lanka, Dr. Purna Bahadur, on Wednesday, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties.
Providing details of the meeting held at the Ministry of Industry, Minister Handunneththi said views were exchanged on the current political, economic, and social developments in both Sri Lanka and Nepal.
He noted that Ambassador Bahadur made particular emphasis on the importance of establishing a Sri Lanka–Nepal Business Council to further strengthen and expand bilateral trade relations between the two countries.
“During the meeting, I briefed Dr. Bahadur on Sri Lanka’s trade engagements not only within the region but also with countries beyond the region, such as China,” he said.
Minister Handunneththi went on to say that Ambassador Bahadur also discussed at length the potential for entering into a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Sri Lanka and Nepal, covering goods such as gems and jewellery, mineral sands, phosphate, rice, sugar, and garments.
He added that an invitation was extended for Nepalese buyers to participate in the upcoming “Ratnapura International Gem Exhibition” scheduled to be held in August. (Newswire)