Brussels, 07/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - Louis Michel, Commissioner for development policy and humanitarian aid appears to have been encouraged by his meeting with John Garang, the leader of the main south Sudanese movement, the SPLM/A (Sudanese People's Liberation Movement) whom he met on Monday in Nairobi, Kenya. Mr Michel informed Mr Garang that European Commission support would depend on the signing of a peace agreement by the end of the year between the Khartoum authorities and the SPLM/A, in compliance with the commitment made by the two parties on 19 November. In a press release published in Nairobi the Commissioner stated, "The two parties would find it beneficial that this agreement provided an overall settlement to the crises affecting Sudan, notably that of Darfur". Mr Michel declared that he had been able to detect, "a genuine desire to conclude the Naivaha process, a desire that echoed the positive declarations made last week in Khartoum" (where Michel met the Sudanese president Omar Al-Bahsir). The signing of the peace agreement would allow for renewed cooperation between the EU and Sudan, suspended since 1991. Out of the EUR 369 million available to the country, but which is still frozen, the Commission is committed to releasing these funds soon. This "peace dividend" would primarily finance the return and re-settlement of refugees and displaced persons in the country, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of veterans and action to strengthen administrative capacity in Sudan.