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Norwegian Envoy Due in Sri Lanka This Week for Peace Talks
Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim is due to arrive here this week which heralds movement towards peace negotiations between the government and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels, the official Sunday Observer said.
Solheim, who met chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels Anton Balasingham in London last week, will brief government and opposition leaders in Colombo on the LTTE's latest position on Norwegian-drafted Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will provide the framework for direct talks between the two sides.
The LTTE rebels said in a statement issued on Friday from Wanni, their headquarters in the north of the country that progress had been made on the MOU after intense discussions for a considerable time with the Norwegian facilitators.
"We hope an agreement can be reached soon on the Norwegian proposal after further discussions and clarifications on certain matters," the LTTE rebels said.
The rebels said that they consider a program for bilateral cessation of hostilities suggested by the Norwegian facilitators a constructive proposal which requires further clarifications and discussions before final agreement is reached.
The LTTE rebels again demanded that a ban on the organization be lifted before they enter into peace negotiations with the government.
Diplomats here said that they expect Solheim to strike a deal between the government and the LTTE on these issues which are likely to lead to a preliminary discussion on the date and venue for face to face talks between the two sides.
In the past two years Norway has been trying to broker peace in the war-torn country where separatist Tamil Tiger rebels have been fighting since 1983 for an independent Tamil state in the north and east of the country.
Meanwhile, three opposition Tamil Parties have reversed their decision of backing the main opposition United National Party's no- confidence motion against the government in order not to disrupt the political atmosphere for the possible peace talks.
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