Brussels, 16/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - Last Friday, the European commission decided to resort to its Rapid Reaction Mechanism to finance, to the tune of 1.8 million euro, the pursuit of the peace process in Sri Lanka. This decision was taken in view of the opening, in Thailand on 16 September, of formal talks between the Sri-Lanka Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) aimed atfurthering the peace process begun by a cease-fire agreement. Having last May, also through its Rapid Reaction Mechanism, financed an assessment mission in Sri Lanka, the Commission prepared a programme that, states a press release, will focus on "highly visible actions" to facilitate the implementation of the key-elements of the cease-fire agreement and confidence-building measures. Actions envisaged concern: - the rehabilitation of schools having been used for military purposes (including mine-clearance operations), rehabilitation of electricity lines between the checkpoints on the Kandy-Jaffna road in order to improve the movement of people between the former conflict zones, financial contribution to the Peace Secretariat, Commission support for human rights activities.
The Commission stipulates that at the same time it has begun the mobilisation process for 4 million euro under the Rehabilitation budget line to allow for actions in favour of displaced persons and the UN mine-clearance programme.