29/01/2010 (Agence Europe) - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton welcomed the peaceful unfolding of presidential elections in Sri Lanka. In a press release on 29 January, she congratulates the president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, for his re-election, and underlines the EU's willingness to cooperate with him and his government to bring sustainable peace to all people in Sri Lanka and actively engage in an inclusive process of national reconciliation. The EU deplores, however, the incidents and irregularities that have taken place during the electoral campaign and calls for these to be duly investigated. Ashton also calls on the Sri Lankan authorities to ensure security of all candidates to the election. (H.B./transl.jl).