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Published on March 7, 2017
The agreement was reached as Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a bilateral meeting with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena at the Jakarta Convention Center here on the margins of the first-ever Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Leaders' Summit.
Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque briefed reporters, while PM's Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim and Secretary on the Maritime Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Real Admiral (retd) M Khorshed Alam were present, among others, at the briefing.
The foreign secretary said that at the meeting, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had requested the Sri Lankan President to move ahead with the process for inking FTA between the two countries for further promotion of trade and commerce between the two countries.
"The process for signing FTA between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka is at the very preliminary stage of discussion, and both the leaders have agreed to move ahead with the process speedily for signing FTA," he added.
The Bangladesh prime minister and the Sri Lankan president discussed various avenues of bilateral relations, especially how to expand and strengthen further the bilateral relations of the two countries.
Sheikh Hasina extended her invitation again to the Sri Lankan president to visit Bangladesh at his convenient.
"We're hopeful that the Sri Lankan President will visit Bangladesh in the middle of this year," the foreign secretary said.
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