Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the government would request the EU to reissue the GSP+ trade concessions, as the human rights issue "had come to an end", the DailyMirror reported.

Speaking to trade unionists on Wednesday, the prime minister said Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera would make the request from the European Union on Thursday.

Earlier this year the prime minster had pledged that the concessions would be restored after September's UN Human Rights Council session.

The previous government had blamed Mr Wickremesinghe for the concessions being withdrawn, after the EU stated it was concerned over human rights abuses.

In 2010, then government Minister Dallus Alahapperuma said “the EU started questioning about labour rights, human rights and good governance after the mud-slinging campaign against the government by Ranil, Mangala and certain Tamil groups who are dreaming to establish a Transnational State of Tamil Eelam”, adding “the EU intensified pressure on Sri Lanka and decided to withdraw the trade facility after Fonseka’s white flag story that tarnished the image of our security forces and the government”.

EU trade concessions will be regained after HRC session in Sept – Ranil (22 June 2015)

Sri Lanka confident in restoring GSP+ trade concessions (03 June 2015)

 ‘An awful lot remains to be done’ on human rights in Sri Lanka says EU envoy (10 May 2015)

Rights issues crucial to granting GSP+ in Sri Lanka, says EU Ambassador (31 March 2015)

Sri Lanka seeks to regain GSP+ (28 March 2015)

EU parliament's 'Friends of Sri Lanka' in visit to help remove fishing ban (08 March 2015)

EU suspends fish imports from Sri Lanka (16 January 2015)