The Government has taken steps towards obtaining membership for Sri Lanka in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world’s largest free trade agreement, Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath said.

He made these remarks from the Sri Lankan High Commission in Canberra, concluding his official visit to Australia and New Zealand.

During the visit, significant progress was made, with Australia and New Zealand—two key RCEP members, agreeing to extend full support for Sri Lanka’s bid for membership, the Minister added.

RCEP, considered the world’s largest free trade agreement in terms of both population and economic output, was established with the participation of 15 countries to enhance economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

It includes the 10 ASEAN member States — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam—as well as major economies such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, and South Korea.

Sri Lanka has initiated steps to join the bloc in order to strengthen economic and trade relations with regional partners, and the Minister noted that the visit has laid a strong foundation for that goal.

Another key outcome of the official visit is the agreement to further strengthen direct air connectivity between Sri Lanka and Australia.

Accordingly, direct flights between the two countries are expected to commence from August, the Minister further said.