India, Sri Lanka To Discuss Trade

Sri Lankan Minister for International Trade G L Peiris will inaugurate a two-day conference on India-Sri Lanka: Trade and Investments in Chennai on Dec 17. The conference, organised by Observer Research Foundation in association with Confederation of Indian Industries and the Sri Lankan deputy high commission, will focus on industrial and investment climate and trade related issues.It will also have one-to-one sessions among traders for developing bilateral contacts and relations of shared, long-term interests.Officials and industry trade representatives from India and Sri Lanka will have a free and frank exchange of views on issues and concerns of mutual concern to both the countries and all stakeholders.After the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was signed between the two countries in 1998, the bilateral trade has more than doubled in just three years. From $557 million in 1999, it has now grown to $2.7 billion in 2007.