Central Province Chief Minister addresses EU parliament

Chief Minister of the Central Province of Sri Lanka, Sarath Ekanayake, addressed the European Parliament and asked for greater inward investment into Sri Lanka.
Addressing Overseas Development and Co-operation Committee of the Parliament last night, the Chief Minister described the beauty of the Central Province, its agriculture, its bio-diversity, its tea estates, its fauna and flora its tourism potential, and the intellectual capacity of the students of the premier University in the Island with a vast international reputation.
He asked that substantial investment be made by the European Union, its companies and its institution to create new jobs and new economic activities in Sri Lanka.
He reminded the EU that the relationship between Sri Lanka and Europe is over 500 years old and is an enduring one. Stating that the garments industry in his Province under the BOI provides hundreds of thousand of jobs; he appealed to the European Union law makers to extend the GSP plus facilities for Sri Lanka beyond 2008. Over 100,000 of jobs are stake and a million people who depend on these wage earners will be affected if the GSP Plus is not extended, It will be economic Tsunami which will hit the poorest people hardest, at a time when Sri Lanka is facing continued terrorism.
Thanking the European Union for the support and help given to Sri Lanka over the years, the Chief Minister said he is looking forward to strengthening of our friendship and working towards supportive mutual cooperation in the years to come.