Press Release: Asian Tsunami: European Commission reconstruction mission to Sri Lanka and Indonesia

Senior European Commission officials and experts arrived in Asia on 14 February 2005 to identify potential projects and select priorities for action in tsunami-hit areas. The joint DG Relex/Europaid mission was planning to visit affected areas and discuss with the governments of Sri Lanka and Indonesia how EU assistance worth up to €350 million can best be used to support reconstruction efforts. The mission was also planned to co-ordinate with other donors. The European Investment Bank was set to join the mission to plan implementation of its loan package (Indian Ocean Tsunami Facility), which was aimed at financing large scale infrastructure redevelopment and initiatives to revitalise private sector activity in the region. Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, was to visit Sri Lanka and Indonesia in March 2005.