European Union Ambassador Bernard Savage on Tuesday declined to answer a question posed by The Island Financial Review on GSP Plus, saying he did not want start a debate without the relevant Sri Lankan authorities, dealing with the subject, being present.

The question was posed when he said that the European Union had funded the rehabilitation of Southern coastal road as a token of its friendship towards Sri Lanka.

Our question was: If you say that the European Union is a friend, then why all the fuss about granting the GSP Plus facility?

An EU insider told the Island Financial Review after the press conference "Sri Lanka would retain GSP Plus."