COLOMBO, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka and Thailand have agreed to implement a joint tourism promotion programme to take the Buddhist heritage of both the countries to the world, a statement from the President's office said on Friday.

During bilateral talks held between President Maithripala Sirisena and visiting Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the two leaders discussed ways and means to promote the Theravada Buddhist heritage.

They also noted that at present, trade relations between Sri Lanka and Thailand had increased to a considerable level. Discussions were also held over the measures that should be taken to reduce the trade deficit between the two countries.

President Sirisena appreciated the progress made by Thailand in the agricultural and technical sectors. He requested the Thai prime minister to provide assistance to develop these sectors in Sri Lanka.

According to the statement, the Thai prime minister also pledged to explore the possibility of providing more opportunities for Sri Lankan tea trade in Thailand.

"The Thailand Prime Minister extended an invitation to the President to visit Thailand again to further strengthen the cooperation and friendship between the two countries," the statement said.?