Brussels, 15/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - On a three-day visit to Sri Lanka on 15-17 March, European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica was due to sign financing agreements on Tuesday 15 March for two new rural development and trade programmes, for a total of €38 million.
€30 million will go to the programme on Integrated Rural Development in the Most Vulnerable Districts of the Central and Uva Provinces. This programme aims to improve livelihoods and household incomes, as well as access to drinking water and healthcare services for the most vulnerable of the population in Sri Lanka.
€8 million will go towards trade-related assistance to help Sri Lanka take advantage of further integration into the global and regional trading system. It will help the country improve their market access, competitiveness and compliance with international standards.
After providing humanitarian aid and contributing to the reconstruction of Sri Lanka, the Commission is now focusing its development aid on long-term support aimed at reducing poverty and encouraging Sri Lanka's economic development.
“We have a new opportunity to support governance and reconciliation efforts and help address the root causes of the conflict in Sri Lanka”, Mimica stated in a press release on Tuesday.
Over the course of the last ten years, the EU has allocated €760 million in humanitarian and development aid for Sri Lanka. For the 2014-2020 period, the EU has provided for an envelope of €210 million for rural development in Sri Lanka - in other words, nearly double the sum allocated between 2007 and 2013. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)