The EU had called on Sri Lanka to provide written confirmation by July 1 that the country was willing to comply with 15 human rights related conditions in order for the trade concessions to be extended by another 6 months.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is reported to have rejected the demand at a Cabinet meeting, saying he would not compromise the country’s sovereignty for the sake of the US$ 150 million by which amount the country would benefit under the GSP + facility, reported the Daily Mirror.
The President stated that the EU had no right to interfere in the matters of a sovereign state, reported the Sunday Leader.
He is reported to have declared the conditions to be related to “internal political matters” with “no relevance whatsoever to international trade”.
"This is more dictatorial than how the colonial rulers of the past treated us," said Economic Development Minister and Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa.
"We cannot be bullied into submission. We can stand on our own and resist these conditions," he told the Sunday Times.
The President was also quoted as having told the Cabinet that
External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris echoed the President’s reassurance that
Government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said the government would arrange an alternate scheme to ensure Sri Lankan exporters do not lose competitiveness.
Peiris also informed a press meet that it was not the role of the EU to interfere in the sovereignty of
“To fulfill the conditions they are asking of us, we would have to change the constitution and brush aside the decisions of the highest court in the country,” he was quoted by the Sunday Leader as saying. “We cannot surrender our decision making power to a foreign government. I don’t think even the public will agree to this or ask us to fulfil these conditions”.
"These conditions are unacceptable. They are an insult to every citizen of this country," Rambukwella told reporters in
The EU wanted
Peiris reportedly told the Sri Lankan Cabinet that
According to the paper, the German Ambassador and the British High Commissioner had informed Peiris that their countries were not in favour of the EU decision.
Initially, media reports in
The reports drew a strong response from the EU, which said, "contrary to these articles, the date of 15 August on which
The EU's executive arm, the European Commission, insisted on "significant improvements on the effective implementation of the human rights conventions" for the island to continue enjoying the trade benefits.
Following the delegations, EC Vice President Catherine Ashton wrote a two page letter to Peiris, saying "……following an assessment of the meeting with Attorney General Peiris on May 20-21 and of the further information which your Government has supplied, it is not yet possible to conclude that Sri Lanka is, at this time, effectively implementing the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention against Torture."
The letter adds, "The European Commission notes the clear willingness on the part of
The Generalised System of Preference (GSP) is a trade agreement in which the European Union gives 176 countries and territories, preferential access to the EU market.
By reducing the tariff on goods entering the market, the EU’s main priority is to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development and good governance. There is no expectation or requirement that this form of access is reciprocated.
Under GSP+,
The agreement, which is subject to renewal every three years, places emphasis on human rights and labour laws within the country.
These benefits will be withdrawn on August 15 unless
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