ETCA discussed, not finalized : Indian HC
Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha said that the proposed bilateral Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) was discussed during the President’s recent visit to India.
Speaking to journalists, the High Commissioner said however that no details were finalised during the discussion.
“There is nothing beyond the joint statement which is very clear about continuing discussions,” he said.
“The question whether it will conclude within a certain time frame or if it will take longer will depend on the eagerness of both sides to do it. It will also depend on issues that we still have to resolve,” the High Commissioner said, adding that imposing a timeline on the matter would be unrealistic.
The remarks were made in response to questions from journalists regarding the proposed ETCA agreement, which was among the topics discussed during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to India in December.
In a joint statement issued after President Dissanayake’s engagements with the Indian government, both nations confirmed that discussions on the agreement were ongoing.
In response to media speculation following Dissanayake’s return to the country, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath clarified that the ETCA agreement was neither signed nor implemented during the President’s visit.
