Lankan bureaucrats, economists undergo training to better negotiate FTAS
Sri Lankan bureaucrats and economists are currently undergoing training on how to better negotiate free trade agreements (FTAS) and set up effective trade policies at the Miloda Academy of Financial Studies, under an International Trade Centre (ITC) event backed by the European Union (EU).
“This will enable the negotiators to find the best way to negotiate FTAS. We had a similar programme from 2005 to 2007 but this is deeper, more comprehensive and includes all aspects of the economy,” ITC Associate Programme Adviser Victoria Simon said yesterday.
Sri Lanka is conducting FTA negotiations with China and Singapore and a deeper economic partnership to expand the FTA with India, while the initial negotiations and feasibility studies are being conducted for FTAS with Malaysia and Bangladesh.
The government is hoping to sign even more FTAS with other regional economies.
Sri Lanka’s FTA negotiations have drawn increased scrutiny in recent times, which Commerce Department Director General Sonali Wijeratne highlighted and said that better tools and training to negotiate better agreements would be welcome.