The Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena, and prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, denied discussing the signing of an economic agreement with India during Mr Wickremesinghe's recent visit to New Delhi.
"CEPA has never been discussed nor was it taken up recently," Mr Sirisena was quoted by the government's official news site as saying.
"People with parochial political agendas kept talking about it and the media gave them prominence. We haven't done anything to make CEPA a reality."
"Our foreign policy is to build healthy relations with all countries," he said.
Mr Wickremesinghe further added that he never went to India to sign CEPA.
Related articles:
Sri Lanka's trade minister says no to CEPA (13 September 2015)
CEPA may give Indians opportunity to move to Sri Lanka – Wimal Weerawansa (11 Sep 2015)
Maubima Lanka Foundation challenges Ranil on CEPA (10 Aug 2015)
Sri Lanka’s Indophobia (07 Aug 2015)
Sri Lankan President says he deliberately dodged CEPA talks with India (03 Mar 2015)
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