The Sunday Times newspaper reports that President Anura Dissanayake’s official visit to France, which was scheduled to take place later this month, has been postponed due to urgent domestic issues, including the impact of the violent situation at the Negombo prison.
According to the report, which quotes Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, the French authorities have been informed of this and Sri Lanka has requested a new date later this year.
The invitation for the visit to France was extended when French President Emmanuel Macron and President Dissanayake met during the ‘AI Impact Summit’ held in New Delhi last February.
Obtaining French support for the extension of the GSP+ tax concession was also among the issues the President planned to discuss. As the current concession scheme expires on December 31, Sri Lanka will have to submit a new application for GSP+ tariff concessions next year.
To continue to receive the GSP+ facility, Sri Lanka is committed to effectively implementing 27 international conventions covering human rights, labor rights, environmental protection and good governance. Sri Lanka lost its GSP+ facility in 2010 and it was restored during the Good Governance government in 2017. The facility is scheduled to expire in 2027.