February 19, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, is in Brussels for an EU summit. Image credit - palinchak/depositphotos
Reading Time: 2 min read
A Daily Brief will not be published on Monday, due to the local public holiday.
Sri Lanka and the Philippines in bilateral talks
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Harsha de Silva, has proposed to strengthen bilateral ties with the Philippines in the sectors of information technology, hospitality, and the training of nurses.
He made this recommendation to the visiting Undersecretary for International Economic Relations of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Laura Q. del Rosario, during bilateral talks on the potential for mutual cooperation.
Agreement signed to explore oil and gas resources
The Minister of Petroleum Resources Development, Chandima Weerakkody, and Total S.A., a French oil and gas multinational, signed a Joint Study Agreement yesterday.
The agreement permits Total S.A. to study two ultra-deep water blocks off the Eastern coast of Sri Lanka, and to assess the possibility of commercially feasible oil and gas in the area.
Egypt and Sri Lanka to discuss bilateral trade
The National Chamber of Commerce has organized a session on bilateral trade between Egypt and Sri Lanka, to be held on the 25th of February.
The Egyptian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mahmoud Hisham Assran, will be speaking on business trends, import and export trade opportunities, and the potential for investment in Egypt.
Cameron in Brussels for EU summit
The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, arrived in Brussels for a crucial European Union summit, which will determine the future of Britain in the EU.
Cameron has remarked that he will be “battling for Britain” and called for the EU to grant Britain a “live and let live” approach.
Australian citizenship made accessible to New Zealanders
The Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has reached an agreement with his New Zealand counterpart, John Key, to make Australian citizenship available to New Zealanders.
The agreement will cover citizens of New Zealand who hold a special category of visa and have been employed in Australia for over five years.
OECD raises alarm on global economic slowdown
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has called on world leaders to take “urgent action” to arrest the decline in the global economy.
The OECD has cut its forecast of global economic growth for 2016 from a previously announced 3.3% to 3%. It noted that the interest rates of several countries are at an all-time low.
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