The German government has agreed to grant 15 million euros (around 18 million US dollars) for the reconstruction and rehabilitation activities in Sri Lanka devastated by the tsunami, Daily News said Thursday.

The grant is expected to be utilized on reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure facilities in the Batticaloa District.

The memorandum of cooperation in this regard was signed by P.B. Jayasundera, secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Planning, on behalf of the government of Sri Lanka and by Thomas Hanker, regional director of German Renaissance Bank, on behalf of the government of German Federal Republic on Dec. 12.

Meanwhile, the Helmut Kohl Organization of Germany on behalf of the government of German has agreed to construct a fully equipped new hospital in place of the government hospital devastated by the tsunami in Galle, according to the Ministry of Health Care and Nutrition sources.

The new hospital, estimated to cost 36 million dollars, will include a wards complex to accommodate 850 beds and will be furnished with all facilities on par with hospitals in Colombo.

Source: Xinhua