The Cabinet has approved for the government to submit a new work/action plan with a clear time framework to obtain the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) Sectoral Dialogue Partnership (SDP) as an external party.
According to the government, ASEAN is a political and economic association made up of 10 Southeast Asian countries and includes several of the fastest-growing economies in the world, with these countries contributing about 6.5% of the global domestic product.
Even though Sri Lanka is maintaining diplomatic relations with all the ASEAN countries at present, the government says it has identified that a strong relationship is essential with ASEAN countries for partnership and economic progress.
Although non-Southeast Asian countries cannot take membership in this association, the ASEAN can offer external countries the condition of “Sectoral Dialogue Partner” based on their ability to contribute to the objectives of ASEAN.
Even though Sri Lanka had submitted a letter of intent to the ASEAN Secretariat for the Sectoral Dialogue Partnership and a proposal for the achievement of objectives of ASEAN in the year 2019, no further action had been taken in that respect, the government said.
Accordingly, the Cabinet has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to submit a new work/action plan with a clear time framework relevant to the letter of intent submitted in 2019, following the procedure provided by the ASEAN to obtain the condition of ASEAN “Sectoral Dialogue Partner” for an external party. (Newswire)