This is in addition to the conclusion of ongoing talks for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA ) with Thailand. The next round of FTA talks will be held in Thailand next month.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry who held talks with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai discussed the need for expediting FTA negotiations, and sought assistance of Thailand as a member of ASEAN to join RCEP. Thailand is one of the first countries to ratify RCEP.

The Minister noted that Sri Lanka sought assistance from Thailand to join RCEP which is a regional free trade agreement that entered into force on January 1, 2022 for ten original parties: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.