Aircraft picked with security in mind- EU

   
The European Union (EU) says the aircraft for the visiting EU delegation to visit Trincomalee was picked after considering security issues and refuted the allegations raised by EU Member of Parliament Niranjan Deva Aditya over the issue.
The Sri Lankan born EU MP had told the media on Tuesday the leader of the delegation turned down an offer of a Government aircraft to visit Trincomalee on the grounds that the EU could be seen to be partial.

“This decision did not really belong to the Chair of the Delegation, and had nothing to do with being partial as a Parliamentary delegation. To undertake missions abroad we have to be authorised by the EP's conference of presidents, i.e. by the political leaders of the House, including the EPP-ED, i.e. the political group M. Deva belongs to. This authorisation was granted under the explicit condition that in planning our mission paramount consideration would be given to the safety of our Members,” Philippe Kamaris, Director General, External Policies of the European Parliament said.

Mr. Kamaris recalled that last February when the Government organised a flight for the EU Ambassadors to Batticaloa the helicopter came under heavy attack from the LTTE, upon landing, resulting in one of the participants being injured.

“Of course, since last February the situation on the ground has changed; nonetheless, it was deemed safer for our mission to use the good offices of the UN and to fly with a plane bearing the UN colours.

All participants were informed of this when we were planning our mission and there were no objections,” he added.

Niranjan Deva Aditya had said the EU delegation did not go to Trincomalee, as had been planned with the full support of the Foreign Ministry and the Government of Sri Lanka, for many reasons.

One reason was that instead of the Government aircraft an aeroplane from South Africa was chartered for the delegation through a private company by the EU Delegation Office in Colombo through the United Nations.

The plane yet to be certificated as airworthy according to Sri Lanka Civil Aviation Rules did not arrive in Colombo from South Africa until Sunday (July 20) for a flight for Wednesday (July 23), though plans of the EU delegation were known at least two months in advance by the EU office in Colombo.