Sri Lanka: EU delegation hold talks with Wickremesinghe, assures support to overcome crisis

The delegation of the European Union (EU) to Sri Lanka met Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and urged him to devote special attention to Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), IMF and Human Rights Council as it assured the island country of its support to overcome the ongoing crisis.

The delegation of the European Union (EU) to Sri Lanka met Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and urged him to devote special attention to Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), IMF and Human Rights Council as it assured the island country of its support to overcome the ongoing crisis. "We agree bringing Sri Lanka back on track requires joint and inclusive action on foreign affairs," the delegation said and emphasized the need to give special attention to three ongoing key processes GSP+, bailout package from the IMF, and Human Rights Council, NewsWire reported.

In a Twitter message, the Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka said the EU Ambassadors had a constructive meeting with the Sri Lankan President. "Had a constructive meeting w/ Pres.@RW_UNP today is a partner in challenging times. For us, protection of civil & #humanrights, above all freedom of expression and right to dissent is of utmost importance. We agree bringing back on track requires joint & inclusive action," the tweet read.

EU further added that concrete steps should be taken by the government of Sri Lanka to make these processes a success. Assuring a concrete partnership to Sri Lanka, the delegation of the European Union said that in order to bring the country back on track, joint and inclusive action on foreign affairs is the need of the hour.

Moreover, the delegation also pointed out that the protection of civil and human rights, above all freedom of expression and right to dissent, is of utmost importance. Since the beginning of 2022, Sri Lanka has experienced an escalating economic crisis and the government has defaulted on its foreign loans. The United Nations warned that 5.7 million people "require immediate humanitarian assistance."

With many Sri Lankans experiencing extreme shortages of essentials including food and fuel, peaceful protests began in March. The protests led then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign on May 9, and his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to flee the country on July 13 and resign the following day.

Wickremasinghe became acting president, and parliament elected him as the new president on July 20 with the support of the Rajapaksas' political party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna. (ANI)