Talks Between Norwegian Envoy, Sri Lankan Officials Constructive: Embassy OfficialTalks between visiting Norwegian envoy Erik Solheim and Sri Lankan high-ranking officials are constructive, a Norwegian Embassy official said on Tuesday.Solheim held discussions on peace process in the war-torn country with Deputy Finance Minister G.L. Peiris and main opposition United National Party leader Ranil Wickramasingheon on Monday. He also held talks with President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. The Norwegian embassy official said that the meetings were very constructive and they hoped the talks would help bring the two parties closer. He did not give any further details on the talks. Solheim's visit to the island country, the third from the beginning of this year, came days after Britain included the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a list of 21 "foreign terrorist organizations" under its new anti-terrorist law which went into effect on February 19. The Norwegian envoy, who arrived here on Sunday in a fresh effort to revive peace process in the country, is due to leave here on Tuesday. The peace process in the country has come to a deadlock over ceasefire issue. The LTTE extended their unilateral ceasefire which started last December for a second time till March 24 and requested the government to reciprocate their truce offer. Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar reiterated on Friday that the government would not impose a ceasefire until substantive talks between the two sides are commenced. The LTTE rebels have been fighting against government forces since 1983 in the north and east of the country for a separate Tamil state. More than 60,000 people have been killed in the bloody war. |
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