Colombo, Oct 28 (IANS): A four-member delegation from the European Parliament will visit Sri Lanka on October 31 to discuss the groundwork laid for a successful Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) Plus application, authorities said on Friday.

According to a European Union (EU) statement, progress on national reconciliation and ways to empower Sri Lankan women politically and economically will also be discussed, Xinhua news agency reported.

The delegation will visit Colombo and Trincomalee, and Batticaloa in the east, to meet government, local government, parliamentary and civil society representatives.

During his recent visit to Brussels, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee to discuss issues including Sri Lanka's application for GSP Plus, the role of Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), accountability and justice, minority rights and poverty alleviation.

The EU has nearly doubled its development assistance to Sri Lanka for the years up to 2020 to $229 million. The EU will also provide support under the government's Peacebuilding Priority Plan, the statement added.