Norway Responds Positively to Sri Lankan Request for Peace

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, December 28, 2001

Norway Responds Positively to Sri Lankan Request for Peace

Norway has responded positively to Sri Lanka's request to continue its role in the peace process in the war-torn country, the official Daily News said on Friday.

Norway has responded positively to Sri Lanka's request to continue its role in the peace process in the war-torn country, the official Daily News said on Friday.

A press release issued from the prime minister's office on Thursday night said that Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevick has expressed Norway's willingness to become a facilitator acceptable both to the Sri Lankan government and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.

He had indicated Norway's willingness following a lengthy telephone conversation he had with his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe who had made the formal request for Norway to continue the action so far taken to settle the 18-year ethnic conflict in the north and east of the country. Wickremesinghe told a press conference on Wednesday that the Indian government had also welcomed the role of Norway in the peace process. He said he wanted the first steps to be slow and steady. It was only then they could build a firm foundation for the peace process.

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