Brussels, 21/08/2002 (Agence Europe) - On behalf of the European Union, the Danish Presidency has made the following declaration, "The European Union welcomes the agreement reached in Oslo on August 14 between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE to start formal talks in September in Thailand. This agreement comes after a period of general progress in the implementation of the cease-fire agreement from February 2002. These positive developments are seen as clear signs of the commitment of the parties to the peace process and a significant step forward in this process. The European Union urges both sides to ensure that peace talks start as scheduled and that the cease-fire agreement is fully adhered to. The European Union congratulates Norway on its facilitating role and the Sri Lanka Mission or it contribution to the peace process. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union, the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, and the EFTA countries members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this declaration.