Government to have talks with all EU members

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told reporters in Brussels yesterday that talks held so far with the EU on GSP plus have been successful.

He said that the Government will now have talks with individual countries of the EU to seek their support for Sri Lanka.

Wickremesinghe said that President Maithripala Sirisena and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera will visit more EU member countries for talks on GSP plus.

The Prime Minister said he had no doubt that Sri Lanka would regain GSP plus next year.

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, met Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday and discussed several matters including Sri Lanka’s GSP+ application.

The High Representative congratulated the Sri Lankan authorities for their achievements over the past 21 months and reaffirmed the European Union’s continued support to the Sri Lankan Government and its reform agenda, which is committed to improving governance, fighting corruption, strengthening economic growth and protecting human rights for the benefit of all Sri Lankans.

The HR/VP and the Prime Minister discussed the process of national reconciliation in the country, highlighting the importance of addressing the underlying causes of the conflict and beginning a process of healing. 

They also discussed the implementation of last year’s UN Human Rights Council Resolution, which was co-sponsored by the Sri Lankan Government. The steps taken so far send a clear signal that the Sri Lankan Government is committed to moving towards genuine reconciliation and accountability, processes which the European Union will continue to support. (Colombo Gazette)