Sri Lanka, Aug. 17 -- Australia has confirmed its strong support for Sri Lanka's bid to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), with the Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Paul Stephens, emphasising that RCEP membership would deepen Sri Lanka's connections to crucial markets across Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania.

Speaking at a discussion titled 'Geopolitics in the Indian Ocean', organised by the Geopolitical Cartographer, Stephens highlighted the broader benefits of preferential trade agreements. "Preferential trade arrangements, whether plurilateral or bilateral, not only improve market access and promote growth, they bind countries closer together, and there is a security aspect to free trade agreem...