Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, August 13, 2003
China, Sri Lanka Vow to Step up Agricultural Cooperation
Agricultural cooperation between China and Sri Lanka should be stepped up with the acceleration of the drafting of an cooperation memorandum, China's Agriculture Minister Du Qinglin said Monday in Beijing.
Agricultural cooperation between China and Sri Lanka should be stepped up with the acceleration of the drafting of an cooperation memorandum, China's Agriculture Minister Du Qinglin said Monday in Beijing.
Du Qinglin told visiting Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that China and Sri Lanka had established cooperation in various agricultural fields and China was willing to share its experience in agricultural development with Sri Lanka.
"I wish to see the cooperative documents between the two sides signed as soon as possible," Du said.
Du also pledged that China would boost agricultural technological and personnel exchanges and cooperation with Sri Lanka and encourage more Chinese agri-businesses to invest there.
Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka's agricultural system was being reformed and the country wanted to learn from the experience of China.
He said agricultural reform was the key to the success of Sri Lanka's economic reform.
Sri Lanka hoped to introduce high-quality crop varieties and vegetable and fruit varieties with high added value from China.
Wickremesinghe proposed that the two countries establish cooperation between agricultural research agencies.