Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-05-02

Entering into an Agreement between Sri Lanka and France concerning the Establishment of an office of the French Agency for Development in Sri Lanka

- The French Agency for Development (AFD) has been established for the implementation of the French Government's Economic and Social Development Aid Policy which assists over 60 countries of 4 Continents providing financial assistance through grants and loans. With the establishment of an office of the French Agency for Development in Colombo, affiliated to the Embassy of France of Sri Lanka in the year 2005, several priority development projects such as water supply and sanitation, integrated urban development, fisheries, bio-diversity, green power development, forestry and irrigation sectors have already been implemented in Sri Lanka with the funds provided for by the above agency. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Ranil Wickremasinghe, the Prime Minister, in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, to enter into an agreement between the two countries, to establish a new office in Sri Lanka and to confer privileged status to AFD, with a view to enhancing the bilateral relationship between the two countries, was approved by the Cabinet.