Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who is in Brussels met with Donald Tusk yesterday.

Tusk during discussions with Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka’s current political and social reforms have led to the possibility of regaining the concessions.

The Prime Minister’s visit to Brussels is aimed at regaining the withdrawn GSP+ tariff concession facility to Sri Lanka.

EU’s GSP+ tariff concession allowed Sri Lanka to sell over 7,000 products to EU countries tax-free with the garment industry benefitting the most.

The EU citing Sri Lanka’s alleged human rights violations suspended the GSP+ tariff concession in February 2010.

If Sri Lanka successfully reverses the GSP+ suspension, the currency reserves would increase from 10-20% through access to the European market amounting to a population of over 500 million people.

European Council President also requested Prime Minister Wickremesinghe to look into the issue of migrants entering Europe through illegal means.

The Premier vowed to set up a special task force for development with the participation of the European Council that will also contribute to solving concerns surrounding immigrants.

The task force will include ministries such as Law and Order, Resettlement, Justice and the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe extended an invite for Donald Tusk to visit Sri Lanka to observe the ongoing democratization and development in the island.

Accepting the invite Tusk said he will undertake an official visit to Sri Lanka next year.

(newsradio.lk)