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Norway Satisfied with Sri Lanka's Stand on Peace Talks
The Norwegian government has expressed its satisfaction over Sri Lanka's stand on its readiness to start peace talks with separatist Tamil Tiger rebels, a spokesman of the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo has said.
"The Norwegian government considers it as a positive step that the Sri Lankan government has expressed its interest in having political talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)," the spokesman was quoted by the state-run Daily News as saying on Thursday.
"We hope the two parties will manage to overcome any obstacle that may remain before they meet." he added.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshamn Kadirgamar announced on Tuesday at a press conference that his government was ready to commence political talks immediately while fighting was on with the LTTE rebels.
Kadirgamar said that Sri Lanka hopes the Norwegian government will inform the LTTE of its stand on having political talks at once and take speedy measures to bring both parties to the negotiating table, the paper said.
LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran offered to hold unconditional peace talks with the government in a speech marking the so-called hero's day for those killed by government forces on November 27. He required the "creation of a cordial atmosphere and conditions of normalcy conducive to peace negotiations" which the government has seen as a precondition.
The LTTE rebels have been fighting against government forces for a separate Tamil homeland in the north and east of the country since 1983.
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