Sri Lanka and New Zealand eye expanding trade in food, starting economic dialogue
Sri Lanka had discussed expanding tourism, trade in processed food and tackling legal migration, the Foreign Ministers of the two countries said following discussions in Colombo.
“We discussed the growing number of New Zealand companies working with and investing in Sri Lanka or looking to work with Sri Lankan partners,” Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of New Zealand said.
“Many of these collaborations will deliver benefits for Sri Lanka in the tourism, agriculture, and healthcare sectors.
“We also discussed the key role government-to-government cooperation between our food safety and border agencies plays to improve food safety standards, reduce red tape at the border, and increase Sri Lanka’s market access capabilities.
“We reiterated that Sri Lanka’s application to accede to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement is very welcome.”
New Zealand’s Fonterra is a big player in Sri Lanka’s dairy market and the country has also provided assistance to the local farming sector.
Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said the establishment of a Trade and Economic Dialogue with New Zealand was discussed.
“We also explored expanding trade links, especially in high-potential sectors such as dairy, processed food, and fresh produce, and discussed improving market access for Sri Lankan products.”
“We expressed keen interest in expanding vocational training collaboration, with a focus on industry-aligned skills development for youth.
“With over 1,200 Sri Lankan students studying in New Zealand, we reiterated our interest in building stronger educational linkages, and enhancing academic and institutional partnerships.”
The two countries had also discussed legal migration and security in the Indo-Pacific region, Minister Peters said.
