Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2024-03-25 (Subject to Confirmation at the next Meeting)

Hosting the International Conference conducted annually by the International Pepper Community, in Sri Lanka in the year 2024

- The International Organization called the International Pepper Community has been established in the year 1972 jointly by the major pepper producing countries in the world under the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia. Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam function as the major and permanent members of this Organization. Sri Lanka has obtained the permanent membership of the International Pepper Community in the year 2002 and its annual International Conferences have been held in Sri Lanka in the years 1999, 2006, 2012 and 2017. Accordingly, the proposal made by the Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries to host the 52nd International Conference of the International Pepper Community in Sri Lanka in this year, with a view to reaching agreements pertaining to the fields of sharing the results of technological and economic research relating to the pepper production among the member countries, formulating and promoting programmes for traditional and new markets and building up collaboration for relaxing tariff and non tariff barriers in the international market, was approved by the Cabinet.