The Government is to make a strong plea to the European Union to continue the “GSP Plus” trade concession for Sri Lanka’s garment exports despite claims to the contrary by senior officials.

Two senior Government dignitaries -- Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake and Ports Minister Chamal Rajapaksa -- who traveled to Japan for what was billed as an "Exposition of Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha", it has come to light, were unsuspecting victims of a move to misrepresent Buddha's relics, misuse Sri Lanka's name and engage in a human smuggling operation.