EU parliament delegation to visit Lanka from Oct 31 to Nov 3

Colombo [Sri Lanka], Oct. 29 (ANI): European Parliament's four-member delegation is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka from October 31 to November 3 to discuss national reconciliation and greater women's empowerment as part of groundwork to review the country's application to regain Generalised Scheme of Preferences GSP+ facility. The delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and Maldives said in a press release in Colombo today that the focus of the visit will be on progress of national reconciliation and ways to empower Sri Lankan women politically and economically and they will also look at the groundwork laid for a successful GSP+ application, today, reports Colombo Page. Jean Lambert (UK), chair of the Delegation for Relations with Countries of South Asia, will be leading the delegation and will include Sajjad Karim (UK), Thomas Mann (Germany) and Ulrike Müller (Germany). During the visit, the delegation members will be visiting Colombo, Trincomalee and Batticaloa to meet government, local government, parliamentary and civil society representatives. They will also visit European Union-supported projects in Trincomalee and Batticaloa. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had met the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee during his recent visit to Brussels to discuss issues including Sri Lanka's application for GSP Plus, the role of SAARC, accountability and justice, minority rights and poverty alleviation. Development assistance to Sri Lanka has been nearly doubled for the years up to 2020 by European Union. Support under the Government's Peace building Priority Plan will also be provided by EU. (ANI)