President highlights key major challenges facing Asia at Nikkei Forum

President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing the Nikkei Forum on the Future of Asia highlighted three major challenges facing Asia today namely: democratic values and human rights, climate change and trade integration in the region. 

President Wickremesinghe further added that climate change, which poses significant threats to Asia caused rising temperatures in the region, leading to severe weather events and rising sea levels, which are impacting the livelihoods, food security and exports of Asian countries, according to a statement issued by President Media Division.  

Emphasizing the importance of respecting the diverse political systems and definitions of human rights across Asian countries, President Wickremesinghe also stressed the importance of upholding the rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, rejecting economic coercion and decoupling moves. 

Meanwhile, President Wickremesinghe also met former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga a short while ago in Japan. The President outlined the economic recovery in the country and invited Japanese investments to return to the country.

President Wickremesinghe also said that his government intends to apply for membership in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade bloc with the aim of achieving a higher level of economic liberalization.