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Govt. presents White Paper 'Regaining Sri Lanka' : More funds to pour in for development

by Arjuna Ranawana in Oslo

The international community will pour in funds for the development of Sri Lanka as long as it stays on course to find a lasting solution to the conflict based upon the renunciation of violence, respect for democracy and human rights, the countries attending the Peace Support conference in the Norwegian capital Oslo said on Monday night.

The 35 countries from four continents declared that they pledge "to provide assistance to meet the immediate needs and priorities identified at this meeting, so that assistance may be given islandwide, when and where it is most needed thereby directly promoting the peace process."

It was the largest Sri Lanka specific international conference ever.

The government of Sri Lanka presented a White Paper for the development of the country, which incorporated the "Regaining Sri Lanka" initiative to the meeting. The former belligerents also put up a joint appeal for urgent assistance for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the war-ravaged areas.

The Chief Facilitator for the peace process Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen said the participants had responded with a promise of between 60 and 70 million dollars as emergency aid and that more would be granted at a donor meeting scheduled to be held in May in Japan when he addressed a press briefing at the end of the event.

This is in addition to the normal aid given to Sri Lanka both bilaterally and multi-laterally.

The donors recognised that the North and East of the country had special problems but the aid would be addressed to cover the whole country.

Industries Minister and Chief Government Negotiator Professor G.L. Peiris told the Daily News the presence of the international community represented at a very high political level showed the backing that has been given to the peace process.

"Every peace process is fragile and needs to be buttressed with international political support. In that regard we have every reason to be satisfied," the minister said. Secondly the Government needed to generate the resources, he said, to create a visible peace dividend "because it is important to retain public confidence in the process."

The meeting was not a regular aid conference, which would have then been attended by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

The money promised from this meeting "will not be used in the traditional orthodox ways but cutting across them," Prof. Peiris said. The donor countries paid special attention as to how the money would be disbursed and will now identify the agencies through which the cash will flow.

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