SL- El Salvador to establish relations for trade

Saturday, 10 September 2011 00:45 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Uditha Jayasinghe

In a bid to increase trade Sri Lanka and El Salvador have decided to establish diplomatic relations.

Cabinet of Ministers on a proposal made by Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Pieris on Wednesday decided to establish diplomatic relations with the Central American Republic of El Salvador. Acting Cabinet spokesman Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardane told media that there is potential to increase exports of spices, processed vegetables, pneumatic tyres and rubber products through the move.

Sri Lankan Ambassador in Brazil is to be concurrently accredited as the Lankan Envoy in El Salavador. El Salvador, the smallest country in Central America, has maintained bilateral trade relations with Sri Lanka for the last five years and the trade imbalance is in favour of Sri Lankan exports. El Slavador primarily exports coffee, sugar, processed food, apparel, gold and ethanol to various countries.