The High Commissioner of Sri Lanka H.E. Dharmapala Weerakkody met the Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh Md. Jashim Uddin today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the meeting, Foreign Secretary outlined the reform initiatives and priorities of the interim government aimed at ensuring free, fair and participatory elections.
Both Foreign Secretary and the High Commissioner underscored the importance of holding Foreign Office Consultations between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations. High Commissioner Weerakkody mentioned that Sri Lanka will propose dates for the next Foreign Office Consultations after the parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka which are set to take place on 14 November 2024.
To unlock the untapped potential of bilateral trade between the two countries, both sides also emphasized the need to expedite negotiations for the Preferential Trade Agreement for signing the agreement at the earliest.
While taking stock of the pending agreements and MoUs between the two countries, both the Foreign Secretary and the High Commissioner stressed the importance of finalizing agreements on Coastal Shipping, Avoidance of Double Taxation, and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters, among others.
Both sides emphasized to work closely at SAARC, BIMSTEC and other regional and multilateral fora.