Iceland’s relations with Sri Lanka should transcend the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA), and move into broader areas of co-operation for a more structured and enhanced relationship between the two countries, pointed out by Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama during his meeting on Monday with Geir Haarde, Prime Minister of Iceland.

Earlier in the day, bilateral talks were held with his counterpart, Ingibjörg Solrun Gisladottir at the Foreign Ministry in Reykjavik. It may be recalled that the CFA gave rise to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), in which Iceland was a member.

Minister Bogollagama observed that both his meetings at the highest level with the Icelandic dignitaries were productive and important for enhancing bilateral relations on a meaningful agenda, which would be people-centric. He acknowledged that the discussions highlighted the importance of tapping the two countries’ synergies, for mutual benefit.

In this context, the Foreign Minister expressed his interest in seeking technical expertise from Iceland to add value to Sri Lanka’s resource bases in the fisheries and geo-thermal sectors. In support of Iceland’s concerted policy on the empowerment of women, he offered to share Sri Lanka’s own experience in this area.

The Prime Minister of Iceland, Geir Haarde requested Sri Lanka to expedite the processing of the proposed Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments Agreement and the Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation. Prime Minister Haarde also requested that steps be taken to conclude a bilateral Air Services Agreement, as Iceland has a strong aviation network. Minister Bogollagama, endorsing the proposal, said that a delegation from Iceland was welcome to Sri Lanka for air talks.

While acknowledging Iceland’s role as a member of the SLMM, Minister Bogollagama outlined the present situation in the North and the East of the country.