EU urges government to seek the help of the IMF urgently.

The Delegation of the European Union issues the following statement together with the diplomatic missions of the EU Member States [Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania] and with the diplomatic missions of Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.   Freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are pillars of any democratic society, when they remain peaceful. We therefore encourage all parties to continue acting with restraint. We consider the end of the state of emergency as a positive step. We call on all parties to explore constructive and democratic ways out of the current crisis that has taken its toll on the Sri Lankan people. We stress the extreme urgency of the situation, which requires the authorities to start in-depth discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the reforms needed to bring the Sri Lankan economy back to a sustainable path. END Tania Perera Political, Trade, and Communications Section Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives