Lanka, China sign a number of agreements

Sri Lanka signed a number of agreements with China to further support existing projects and to initiate new ones. China pledged to provide further funding to develop Sri Lanka's transport sector including a number of expressways, road networks and railway lines, the Colombo-Jaffna expressway being significant. Investments in the country's road network will also include developing a Colombo-Kandy-Kurunegala expressway and extending the southern expressway from Matara to Kataragama.

The two countries also signed an agreement to establish two committees that would work towards a free trade agreement.

This would give Sri Lankan products wider access in the Chinese market and help rectify the trade imbalance. Other projects that China agreed to support include the following: Water supply schemes in Attanagalla, Minuwangoda and Kurunegala, an international conference hall in Kandy, an arts theatre in Anuradhapura and the development of the national hospitals in Colombo and Ragama.

External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, Monitoring MP for the Ministry of External Affairs Sajin de Vaas Gunawardena, Ministers Wimal Weerawansa and Douglas Devananda, Parliamentarians A.H.M. Azwer and Namal Rajapaksa, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Dr. P. B. Jayasundara, Chief-of-Staff Gamini Senerath and Sri Lanka's Ambassador in China Ranjith Uyangoda were present at the bilateral meetings during which the agreements were signed.