EU "clumsy" on GSP
2 July 2010 12:14 pm
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Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the European Union (EU) Ravinatha Aryasingha says the European Commission had been “rather clumsy” in dealing with the GSP plus issue on Sri Lanka.
In comments to the ‘European Voice’ newspaper the Ambassador said that it was “disappointing and unfortunate” as there was a vibrant process of engagement between the EU and Sri Lanka which has now been cut short by the Commission’s ultimatum.
The European Commission had written to the government putting down 15 conditions to be addressed in order for a recommendation to be put forward for the EU to temporarily extend the GSP plus trade benefits to Sri Lanka which ends next month.
The government has so far rejected the conditions and said it will also not formally respond to the EU letter. However the EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Bernard Savage speaking to Daily Mirror online this week had said that it was not a fixed deadline and the Commission would continue to seek dialogue with the Sri Lankan government.
(Daily Mirror online)