New Delhi: Sri Lanka on June 7 asked India to reciprocate by opening up more ports and certain sectors including textile, services, cement and tea to enhance the volume of exports from the island nation.

"All that we have asked a friendly government of India is that since we have opened up our markets in a positive and stabilised basis, we will appreciate if India reciprocates,"

Sri Lankan Commerce Minister Ravi Karnuanayake said after attending the first joint ministerial committee meeting under India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement with Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran.

The areas discussed included textiles, services sector cement, tea and areas of specific requirements for better economies of scale, he said, adding, "at the end of the day it has to be a win-win situation and we are working towards it".

He said New Delhi had promised to look into various areas that had to be opened up.

Asked about the specific concession that the country had been pitching for, the minister said "just because Sri Lanka is not a least developed country, it should not be excluded from the process", in a reference to the concessions given to Bangladesh by India.

"If we open it (ports) up, it is for India to reciprocate the same," Karunanayake said, adding, "we want seven to eight ports including Chennai, Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu) and Vizakapattnam (Andhra Pradesh), to be opened up."

PTI