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US, EU welcome peace talks

The U.S. welcomes the intention of the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to hold talks in Thailand, between September 16-18.

"We are hopeful that the talks will lead to a permanent end to the conflict based on the principles of democracy and respect for human rights, while maintaining Sri Lanka's territorial integrity. Although the talks are bound to be complex and will take time, we sense that the conditions are favourable for a desirable outcome. We salute the Norwegian government's facilitation of the talks and the Thai government for hosting them. We also note the important and ongoing work of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in tracking adherence to the February ceasefire accord", states a US Embassy press release.

The European Union expressed support Friday for peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE next week and also pledged financial aid to the peace process.

"The additional community funding is in recognition of the parties' commitment to the ceasefire agreement," the European Commission said, announcing initial aid worth 1.8 million euros.

In parallel, the commission has started the process to mobilize four million euros in particular to rebuild a railroad, to help displaced people return home and to fund a mine survey.

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