Sri Lanka's foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera says the GSP+ trade concessions, currently withdrawn from Sri Lanka, are likely to be reinstated.

Speaking to the Sunday Times after his visit to Brussels, Mr Samaraweera said the EU had provided advice to the government on measures to be taken, before Sri Lanka's request to reinstate the concessions can be considered.

The EU suspended the GSP+ tariff in 2010, due to the government's failure to adhere with the fundamental human rights conventions, as expected of all recipients of the concession.

The new Sri Lankan prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has pledged to investigate "LTTE activities" over the past few years.

Mr Wickremesinghe said the old government led by Mahinda Rajapaksa, had links to the LTTE.

“This is part of our probe on corruption. The former Government always accused us of having links with the LTTE but it was they who had links with the Tigers,” he said to media.

The prime minister claimed that there was an attempt by the "LTTE" to prevent Tamils from voting at the presidential elections.

Experts from the European Union will visit Sri Lanka to assess measures taken by the government in its attempt to overturn an EU ban on imports of fishery products from the island.

“The aim of the delegation will be to review the implementation of EU recommendations. The former Government failed to do it, but we are doing it promptly,” Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ajith Perera said according to the Sunday Times.

The minister said he was "hopeful" that the ban will be lifted within months as the government was taking "immediate and effective" steps to implement recommendations made by the EU.

British Prime Minister David Cameron reiterated his call for Sri Lanka’s new government to address matters of international concern and hold perpetrators of abuses of international law to account for their actions.

Wishing the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils his best wishes at their annual dinner on Thursday evening, the British prime minister said that he has “long believed that establishing the truth is a crucial step to help families understand what happened to their loved ones, and help heal the scars of war.”

Stating that he was “incredibly proud of the instrumental role [Britain] played in delivering the March 2014 UN Human Rights Council resolution that mandated” an international investigation into mass atrocities, Mr Cameron added that there was still more to be done in Sri Lanka.

“The OISL investigation in itself is not reconciliation or accountability,” said Mr Cameron. “It is important that the report is considered by the new Sri Lankan Government as they seek to reconcile and hold perpetrators to account for their actions.”

The leader of the UK Labour Party Ed Miliband repeated his call for an independent international investigation into mass atrocities, stating it would be the first step towards satisfying Tamil grievances around the world.

In a video message to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils annual dinner, Mr Milband called on Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena to “fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation” being carried out by the UN Office of the High Commission for Human Rights.

“I am very clear,” said the UK opposition leader.

“Only a full and transparent independent international investigation into allegations of war crimes can be the first step towards satisfying and allaying the deep hurt and grievances of Tamils in Britain and around the world.”

Photos: Battinews

Protestors in Batticaloa demanded to know the whereabouts of people who were disappeared from 1958 to more recent times, urging the new government to provide answers, Battinews reported.

Relatives of the disappeared were joined at the Gandhi Square by TNA MPs P Ariyenenthiran and Pon Selvarasa, who were given a petition by the protestors, calling on President Maithripala Sirisena to take action.