Brussels, 29/08/2011 (Agence Europe) - The EU has welcomed the lifting of the state of emergency in Sri Lanka as an important step towards the return to normality. In a statement published on Friday evening, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton says that “the announcement by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Parliament on Thursday 25 August that his government does not intend to prolong further the emergency regulations in force for many years in Sri Lanka is a welcome move”. The state of emergency has been in place since 1983 and Ashton sees this development as “a significant step on Sri Lanka's path towards a return to normality” as it will “remove important restrictions on the exercise of civil and political rights which are the cornerstone of a democratic society”. The high representative says that “the European Union has consistently held the view that the elimination of the emergency regulations is a necessary step to ensure a democratic and stable future for Sri Lanka and would also welcome further initiatives by the Sri Lankan government in that direction”. (A.N./transl.rt)