Commissioner Patten visits Sri Lanka

The External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten is travelling to Sri Lanka from 25 to 26 November where he will meet both government representatives and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Discussions will range over a broad agenda including first and foremost the Sri Lanka Peace Process, support for reconstruction and bilateral trade issues. On the eve of his trip, Commissioner Patten said, "I have followed recent developments in Sri Lanka with concern as the Peace Process has been effectively put on hold. I want to use my trip to express the continued commitment of the European Commission to the people of Sri Lanka - regardless of party and group - and to see for myself the chances for a speedy resolution to the current impasse. All peace processes hit problems. But if the level-headedness and determination that brought about the Peace Process are allowed to prevail, these problems can be overcome."

The Commissioner will start his trip in Colombo where he will meet President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and key ministers in the government, including Chief Negotiator G.L. Peiris, Foreign Affairs Minister Tyronne Fernando and Economic Reform Minister Milinda Morogoda. He will also see opposition Members of Parliament and address the Sri Lanka Institute of International Affairs on the EU's experiences with conflict resolution.

On the following day, Commissioner Patten will travel to the north of the island to Killinochchi to meet the leader of the LTTE, Velupillai Prabhakaran.

These meetings provide an opportunity to review the current state of play of the peace negotiations with all parties and to explore how Europe can further support a resumption of the Sri Lanka Peace Process and the longer term challenges of reconstruction. Commissioner Patten is co-ordinating his trip with other members of the international donor community, especially Norway, which is facilitator in the peace negotiations.

He will also visit a de-mining project financed by the EU in the Tamil region as well as some of the Sinhalese monuments in the Cultural Triangle.

Background

EU/Sri Lanka relations

EU-Sri Lanka relations are well developed. Sri Lanka was one of the first Asian countries to sign a formal co-operation agreement with the Europe in 1975. A third generation Co-operation Agreement on Partnership and Development was signed in 1995. The Commission opened a Delegation in Colombo in October 1995.

Development Co-operation

The EU is a significant donor of development aid in Sri Lanka. In 2003 and 2004, the European Commission is funding programmes worth € 65 million. Since the mid-1980s the Commission has focused on the rural development sector where it has committed some € 53 million. These programmes have directly addressed poverty alleviation in rural areas.

Due to the conflict, a large proportion of the EU's past and current assistance is provided through ECHO, for humanitarian relief operations, and from assistance programmes for displaced people in the North and East.

Trade and Economic Co-operation

Co-operation between the EU and Sri Lanka dates back to 1975 when a Commercial Co-operation Agreement was signed. The present agreement entered into force on 1 April 1995. In 2001 the EU accounted for 27.1 % of Sri Lanka's exports. 50 % of Sri Lanka's exports to EU are made-up garments. The EU was also Sri Lanka's largest source of imports, accounting for 15.7 % of the total in 2001. Sri Lanka is a beneficiary country of the general arrangements under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP).

The EU has identified economic co-operation as a priority area. The promotion of trade and investment is not only central to addressing the underlying problems of economic development, but also to sustaining the peace process.


For further information:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/sri_lanka/intro/index.htm

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• Joint Statement on situation in Sri Lanka (4/11/2003)