Germany to help revive GSP+ for Sri Lanka: Visiting Foreign Minister

Sep 23, 2015 (LBO) - Germany would lead the European Union to revive the GSP+ relief for Sri Lanka, the German Foreign Minister said in a statement. “I will take action in that regard, in coordination with the Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka,” Frank Steinmeier, foreign minister of Germany said when he called on President Maithripala Sirisena, Tuesday. President Sirisena, commending the cooperation of Germany extended to Sri Lanka for a long time, said that to maintaining a good association with every country in world is the foreign policy of the new government of Sri Lanka. "Ensuring of the democracy and reconciliation is the course of the government," he said. "The government is also committed to ensure the freedom of judiciary." The German Foreign Minister expressed the satisfaction of the government of Germany on the program carried out by the Sri Lankan government to ensure democracy and achieve reconciliation. Steinmeier conveyed the invitation of German Chancellor Angela Merkal for President Sirisena to visit Germany and the President accepted the invitation, the statement said. Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Harsha de Silva, Secretary to the Ministry Mr. Sivageeshwara and German Ambassador in Sri Lanka Dr. Jürgen Morhard also participated in this occasion.