Sri Lanka welcomed the EU decision to appeal against the LTTE's delisting as a terrorist entity by a European court.

"The action taken by the Council of the European Union (EU) demonstrates commitment for the fight against terrorism at a time when this threat is increasingly posing a significant challenge to global peace and stability, necessitating a collective and vigorous international effort to counter," Lankan External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

"It is encouraging that the decision by the Council of the EU to appeal, suspends the effects of the judgement until the completion of the appeal process, particularly given the continued activities of the LTTE networks in Europe," the statement added.

Earlier today, the EU decided to appeal against the judgement of the European Court of Justice in relation to the EU's banning of the LTTE as a terrorist organisation.

On October 16, the European Court of Justice had ruled on procedural grounds that the 2006 sanctions slapped on the LTTE aimed at combating terrorism were no longer valid.

The EU had declared the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) a terrorist outfit in 2006, following the earlier proscriptions of the USA and Canada. The ban criminalised any activity that could be connected to the LTTE.

Sri Lanka had termed the EU court decision as part of the conspiracy against it in the international fora.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa charged his opposition rivals of working with the pro-LTTE diaspora to see the EU's ban on the LTTE lifted.

The LTTE was engaged in an "armed conflict" with Sri Lankan government forces for nearly-three decades, but were defeated in 2009 following the death of its chief Velupillai Prabhakaran.

(Economic Times)