After a pause of five years, India and Sri Lanka have resumed discussions on the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement. The 12th round of negotiations between the two nations unfolded on Tuesday and Wednesday in Colombo, Sri Lanka. These talks, initially initiated in 2016, came to a halt in 2018, but have now been reinvigorated, signifying a renewed commitment to strengthening economic ties and technology collaboration.

Over the course of two days, both parties conducted a comprehensive review of previous negotiation rounds and evaluated the progress made on implementation, as confirmed by a statement from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Notably, nine issues have been resolved, leading to their exclusion from the discussion agenda.

Among the topics under consideration were matters such as apparel quotas, pepper trade, and pharmaceutical procurement. In each case, the participating parties have agreed to continue discussions with a view to exploring fresh resolutions. This indicates a mutual dedication to addressing these issues constructively and collaboratively.

The negotiations were overseen by KJ Weerasinghe, the chief negotiator of the Sri Lankan delegation, and Anant Swarup, the joint secretary in the Department of Commerce and India's chief negotiator for the agreement.