Sri Lanka urged Iceland to recall its envoy

Colombo, Oct 4 (UNI) Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry has urged the Iceland government to 'recall immediately' its visiting Foreign Ministry envoy who held a meeting with the LTTE leaders in the rebel-held Wanni on Tuesday.

Mr Bjarni Vestmann, the visiting Minister Counsellor of the Foreign Ministry of Iceland held talks with LTTE's political wing head, S P Thamilselvan on Tuesday and the discussion reportedly focussed on the current situation in the country in general and in the rebel-held Wanni region in particular.

The Foreign Ministry in a statement said here today that Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, who is currently in Washinton on an official visit, has made this request directly when he met his Iceland counterpart Mrs Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir yesterday despite a 'written apology'.

''The Minister (Bogollagama) strongly protested the action of Mr Vestmann, and requested his immediate recall'', the Foreign Ministry statement here said, adding that the Government of Iceland has ''tendered an unqualified written apology'' to the Sri Lankan government for the unauthorized meeting of Mr Vestmann with representatives of the LTTE.

According to the statement, Iceland Foreign Minister Gisladottir has 'emphatically stated that the Government of Iceland had not authorised Mr Vestmann to make any contact with the LTTE, which he has done much to their disappointment'.

UNI