DECLARATION OF THE PRESIDENCY

ON BEHALF OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

ON THE RECENT BOMBING IN COLOMBO

The European Union :

­ strongly condemns the recent bombing in Colombo which killed dozens of people and left other dozens injured, for there is no justification for targeting such areas, moreover as they were heavily populated by civilians,

­ expresses its sympathy to the Sri Lankan government and to the families of the victims,

­ continues to support a negotiated peaceful political settlement of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka,

­ believes that the Sri Lankan government's wide­ranging proposals for constitutional reform, which are presented to the Parliamentary Select Committee on constitutional reforms around the middle of this month, constitute a sound basis for a peaceful solution to this tragic conflict.