Pathfinder Foundation Convenes Ambassadors’ Roundtable on Sri Lanka’s Pathway to RCEP and the Emerging Global Trading Order | 5th June 2026

The Pathfinder Foundation held an Ambassadors’ Roundtable on 5 June 2026 at the Colombo Club, Taj Samudra Hotel, titled “Sri Lanka’s Pathway to RCEP and the Emerging Global Trading Order.” The event brought together diplomats, government officials, policy experts, and think tanks to discuss Sri Lanka’s engagement with regional trade frameworks and the implications of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Speakers highlighted RCEP as a major ASEAN-led economic framework offering opportunities for trade expansion, investment, and regional value chain integration. They emphasized that Sri Lanka’s potential accession would require sustained reforms, macroeconomic stability, and stronger policy credibility.

Government and diplomatic representatives noted that RCEP accession is a long-term, phased process requiring both state and private sector readiness, as well as alignment with regional trade standards. Participants agreed that successful engagement with RCEP could support export diversification and strengthen Sri Lanka’s integration into the Indo-Pacific economic architecture.