Lanka-EU to strengthen ties

President of the European Commission (EC), Jose Manuel Barroso has expressed hope that the forthcoming Sri Lanka- EC Joint Commission scheduled to be held in Colombo from 9-11 June 2008 would provide a forum for a meaningful dialogue.

President Barroso made this observation when he received the credentials of Sri Lanka's new Ambassador to the European Union Ravinatha Aryasinha at the Commission headquarters in Brussels on May 29, 2008.

Responding to concerns raised by President Barroso on developments in Sri Lanka, Ambassador Aryasinha said, while Sri Lanka valued constructive suggestions made by friends on what could be improved, the positive developments taking place in Sri Lanka despite trying circumstances, also needed to be acknowledged.

Taking the current debate on the extension of GSP Plus facility to Sri Lanka as an example, Ambassador Aryasinha said this facility keeps over 350,000 in direct employment, has significantly contributed to poverty reduction, empowered women and uplifted the rural economy.

He regretted the tendency seen in recent statements and actions by the EU to disregard the significant achievements of Sri Lanka in relation to the environment, labour and good governance, and to singularly focus on human rights, in the context of the GSP+ review.

He said many positive aspects on human rights were glossed over, including the recent Supreme Court advisory opinion affirming the justiciability of the ICCPR in Sri Lanka, the marked decline of violations over the past year, the prosecution of those including security forces personnel responsible for violations, the effort through the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to identify the perpetrators of alleged human rights abuses and the vast strides made in restoring the rights of the people of the Eastern Province through the revival of the economy and the holding of Provincial Council elections after a lapse of 20 years.

The EC President agreed on the need for providing a fair and balanced reaction on the part of the EU, and encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to debate issues that Sri Lanka feels are under-represented or misrepresented.