Colombo:President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said Sri Lanka seeks to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade bloc comprising China and Japan to bolster its economic connectivity within the broader Asian region amid impending financial challenges, an official statement said on Thursday.
Addressing the 56th anniversary of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) held at Indonesia’s embassy in Colombo on Tuesday, he said Sri Lanka will work closely with ASEAN nations, the president’s office said.
“Sri Lanka’s economic focus should now turn towards the East, given the rapid development in that region,” Wickremesinghe said.