Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom has pledged to provide every possible assistance to Sri Lanka to regain the GSP+ facility.

Minister Wallstrom, who is on an official tour of Sri Lanka, gave this promise when she met President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat today.

Sweden’s Foreign Minister and the President discussed in detail the ways and means to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. President Sirisena thanked the Government of Sweden for the assistance provided for development projects in Sri Lanka.

He requested Minister Wallstrom to provide support for research activities in preventing kidney disease, which is spreading in Sri Lanka.

She said that a special project had already been implemented by the Uppsala University in Sweden and the Karolinska Medical Institute of Sweden in collaboration with the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka.

The President requested for assistance to establish vocational training centres for youth in the North and East, and also for the development of training in the fields of education, fisheries and environment.

The President invited Swedish investors to utilize the investing opportunities available in Sri Lanka and said he would provide the required facilities.