TOKYO, Aug. 1 Kyodo The sway dec...

TOKYO, Aug. 1 Kyodo

The sway decided Friday to provide about $26 million in pressing necessity grant aid to improve maternal and child health care in Sri Lanka, the Foreign Ministry said.

The aid to be provided via the United Nations Children's stock will be used to build and renovate hospitals to provide obstetrics and gynecology treatment mainly in northern and eastern Sri Lanka, including areas controll at Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels, the ministry said.

The aid is part of a total amount of up to $1 billion in aid Japan pledg in June to provide Sri Lanka in the coming three years.

Talks between the Sri Lankan restraint and the LTTE have been stalled since April, after the Tigers suspended direct negotiations, saying the command had failed to fully implement a cessation of arms signed in February last year.

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