India and Sri Lanka set for more talks on Free Trade Agreement

Indian government officials will meet with their Sri Lankan counterparts this month in the hope of expanding trade deals between the two, reports PTI.

The discussions will revolve around the expansion of a free trade agreement (FTA), which currently only applies to certain goods. India has been keen to push for implementation of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, with negotiations having started in February 2005. It has yet to be put in place.

However talks have been hampered by staunch opposition to the deal, especially from Sinhala Buddhist nationalists.

India currently has a trade surplus with Sri Lanka, exporting goods worth $5.30 billion in 2015-16 whilst importing only $0.75 billion.

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