|
 |
 | | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | You are in: South Asia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| | Sunday, 21 July, 2002, 09:32 GMT 10:32 UK Sri Lanka seeks US trade boost  The country is hoping to capitalise on a peace dividend
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe has arrived in the United States for talks aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investment.
His country's peace process will also be high on the agenda when he meets US President George W Bush on Wednesday. Mr Wickramasinghe's high-profile trip - the first visit by a Sri Lankan leader to the White House for 18 years - is being watched closely at home. Hopes are high that a successful outcome will mean increased US trade and business investment in the country. This will provide a much-needed boost to an economy suffering from the effects of 20 years of civil war. Trade discussions Sri Lankan officials have said that the prime minister will brief President Bush on the current state of the peace process following a ceasefire in February.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss a deal to boost textile exports to the United States. The garment industry is the source of more than 50% of Sri Lanka's foreign exchange earnings. They are also due to talk about a deal to remove double taxation, easing the tax burden for American investors in the country. Sri Lankan officials said Mr Wickramasinghe's visit would lay the foundation for a free trade agreement to be signed in due course between the two countries. The prime minister will also meet US Secretary of State Colin Powell, National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice, as well as representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Peace dividend The US visit follows a series of international meetings for the Sri Lankan prime minister. He recently signed trade deals with India, and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is expected in Colombo at the end of this month to finalise a free trade agreement between the two South Asian nations. Along with securing a permanent peace, boosting trade is a vital part of the Sri Lankan Government's political agenda. The country is hoping to capitalise on the peace dividend now that investors are gaining confidence in the stability of the country. | |
See also:  16 Jul 02 | South Asia 08 Jul 02 | South Asia 20 Jun 02 | South Asia 10 Jun 02 | South Asia 07 Jun 02 | South Asia 02 May 02 | South Asia 08 Apr 02 | Business 27 Mar 02 | Business 21 Feb 02 | South Asia Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top South Asia stories now: Links to more South Asia stories are at the foot of the page. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
|  E-mail this story to a friend |
| |
| Links to more South Asia stories |
| | | ||
 | ||||
 | | Back to top
| ||
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To BBC Sport>> | To BBC Weather>> | To BBC World Service>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © MMIII | News Sources | Privacy |
