INDIA,
SRI LANKA EXCHANGE VIEWS November 17, 1998 During the last SAARC Summit in July 1998 in Colombo, the Prime Minister, Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee had announced that India would be willing to consider Bilateral Free Trade Agreements with its South Asian neighbours. President Chandrika Kumaratunga of Sri Lanka had responded swiftly to this initiative and had written to Shri Vajpayee confirming that Sri Lanka would be willing to negotiate such an agreement with India. A high-level Sri Lankan delegation led by Dr.Lal Jayawardena, Economic Adviser to the President, visited India and held detailed discussions in this regard with an Indian team led by Shri P.P. Prabhu, Commerce Secretary on 16-17 November, 1998. The discussions were extremely positive and resulted in a constructive exchange of views on the elements of a Free Trade Agreement. Official level discussions will continue in the next few weeks with a view to reaching early agreement. INDIA AND SRILANKA TO EXPAND India and Sri Lanka have identified a number of areas to expand their cooperation in science and technology. Both the countries concluded a new collaborative programme this week which envisages cooperation in the areas of bio-technology, electronics, and communications, information technology (including software development), Earth and atmospheric sciences, accreditation and standardisation, renewable energy, natural disaster management, ocean development, space technology and applications and fisheries and agriculture. These areas were identified at the third session of the Indo-Sri Lankan Sub-Commission on science and technology held early this week. The Indian delegation was led by the Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Prof. V.S. Ramamurthy and the Sri Lankan delegation was represented by the Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shri H.A. Wimalagunawardhan and the Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, Shri Neville Piyadigama. Besides developing joint projects of mutual interest, India will train Sri Lankan scientists in bio-technology, micro electronics and communication, computer software development, meteorological instrumentation and telecommunication, gassifier, solar and wind power. India will also help Sri Lanka in creating awareness on patents and Intellectual Property Rights issues, science and technology entrepeneurship development and establishment of science and technology parks in the educational institutions. The Indian side has also agreed to establish a meteorological data receiving system for application of the satellite data and imagery, a laboratory for processing of satellite remote sensing data from Hyderabad and an Electronics Test and Measurement Laboratory. Seismic monitoring system in Sri Lanka will be strengthened and the out dated facility removed. The wind measurement network in Sri Lanka will also be modernised. |