Sri Lankan delegation holds talks with EU Commissioner

A Sri Lankan delegation had talks with EU Commissioner Christos Stylanides in Brussels.

The delegation included Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana and Deputy Minister of Policy Planning and Economic Development Dr. Harsha de Silva.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry said that the Sri Lankan delegation also held discussions with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.

The EU High Representative and Commissioner Stylianides welcomed the significant improvements that have taken place in Sri Lanka since the election of the new Government and expressed their confidence in the ability of the Government to continue to honour commitments arising from GSP+ requirements despite the apparent slow progress in some areas of concern.

Foreign Minister Marapana exchanged views on areas of mutual concern related to improving human rights standards through reform of legislation to bring it in line with international standards and the implementation of the UNHRC Resolution on Sri Lanka.

Foreign Minister Marapana reiterated that since the election of the present Government under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that a bipartisan approach is being taken by the two major political parties to address issues of national importance and that new mechanisms have been introduced in Parliament to have wider consultations with all political parties on bringing about reforms.

Discussion also took place on the new security challenges, particularly global terrorism and the need for closer cooperation between Sri Lanka and the EU in this area. The Foreign Minister also discussed regional bilateral issues. The EU leaders emphasized that the Indian Ocean region was an area of particular priority to the EU.