No timeframe to conclude talks on ECTA - Indian minister

Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry, Nirmala Sitharaman, who concluded a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka yesterday, held a media briefing in Colombo last evening. Speaking to journalists, she emphasized that while that both the Indian and Sri Lankan Governments hoped to conclude negotiations on the Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), and sign it as soon as possible, but would not be drawn into a timeframe as to when the agreement would be signed. 

She also stated that India was looking to invest about USD 2-3 billion in Sri Lanka during the next few years, adding that the decision made by the Sri Lankan Government to scrap building an Indian funded coal power plant in Sampur would have no bearing on future investment projects. 

Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama and several other senior Sri Lankan Ministers and Deputy Ministers were also present on the occasion. 

Pix by Indika Handuwala

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