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EU delegation to visit Sri Lanka to discuss GSP plus

Xinhua, October 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

A four-member delegation from the European Parliament will visit Sri Lanka on Oct. 31 to discuss the groundwork laid for a successful Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) plus application, the European Union (EU) said in a statement on Friday.

Progress on national reconciliation and ways to empower Sri Lankan women politically and economically will also be discussed, the EU said.

The delegation will visit Colombo and Trincomalee and Batticaloa, in the east, to meet government, local government, parliamentary and civil society representatives.

During his recent visit to Brussels, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee to discuss issues including Sri Lanka's application for GSP Plus, the role of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), accountability and justice, minority rights and poverty alleviation.

The European Union has nearly doubled its development assistance to Sri Lanka for the years up to 2020 to 229 million U.S. dollars. The EU will also provide support under the government's Peacebuilding Priority Plan, the EU said. Endit