Sri Lanka briefs EU on political, economic developments

Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena met the Colombo-based senior diplomatic representation of the European Union (EU) on Friday at the Foreign Ministry, and apprised them on political and economic developments in Sri Lanka, a statement said. The statement said the Minister updated the envoys of ongoing processes, including the constitutional reform process, the strengthening of democratic institutions, and on progress related to the implementation of reconciliation mechanisms, among other issues. The meeting was interactive and also entailed a discussion on EU-Sri Lanka cooperation, including trade, investment and development cooperation, and plans underway to convene the scheduled Sri Lanka-EU Joint Commission Sub-committees following the convening of the 23rd Meeting of the Sri Lanka-EU Joint Commission in January 2021. Measures in place for the revival of tourism in Sri Lanka in the COVID -19 /post-COVID -19 context, and the Government of Sri Lanka health protocols related to quarantine were also discussed.The Ambassador of France Eric Lavertu; the Ambassador Italy Rita Mannella, the Chargé d’Affaires of Romania Ambassador Victor Chiujdea; as well as the Deputy Heads of Mission of Germany, the Netherlands and the EU participated in the meeting.