Ambassador –designate to the European Union, Grace Asirwatham, met with Mr. Pierre Amilhat, Director Asia Pacific of the Directorate General for International Development Cooperation (DEVCO) of the European Commission on 27th August 2019.
Ambassador-designate Asirwatham appreciated the generous grant assistance provided by the European Union for several decades to support Sri Lanka’s economic development. She noted that projects undertaken under the integrated rural development programme to improve water supply and sanitation, provides skills for self-employment and educate women in rural households on child care and nutrition had greatly benefitted communities in the Uva and Sabaragamuva Provinces.
Ambassador also discussed the technical support that DEVCO is extending to Sri Lanka to increase its agricultural exports to the EU market. She particularly appreciated the recent allocation of Euro 10 million for programmes designed to educate exporters on food safety and quality and also Euro 18 million allocated towards strengthening law and order including prison reform and the institutions under the Ministry of Justice. She also discussed EU support for special development projects in the Northern and Eastern Provinces under the post-conflict reconciliation initiatives for which the EU has recently allocated a further sum of Euro 40 million.
Discussion also took place on the next meeting of the EU-Sri Lanka Working Group on Development Cooperation.
