Representatives of more than 40 American companies, as well as about 30 companies from India and other parts of Asia held a meeting in Colombo with Sri Lankan and U.S. government officials to launch a ‘Public-Private Partnership’ to explore business opportunities in Sri Lanka. The conference coincided with the seventh round of talks regarding the Sri Lankan-U.S. Trade and Investment Framework Agreement( TIFA) which is scheduled to take place today. Sri Lankan officials are hoping that expanded U.S. investment will bolster the post-conflict reconciliation process among Sri Lanka ‘s population. They are particularly keen to steer investment to the North and East, where the LTTE conflict took its greatest toll.