LTTE agrees for talks with Lanka on Oct 28, 29 in Switzerland

Colombo, Oct 10 (UNI) The Tamil Tiger rebels today agreed to resume direct talks with the Sri Lanka government on Oct 29 and 30 in Switzerland , but imposed a tough condition that it would reconsider its position ''if military aggression continued''.

''We are ready for talks, and agreed to the venue and date.

However, if the military aggression continued, we will be forced to reconsider the decision,'' the pro-LTTE Tamilnet website has quoted LTTE's Political Wing head, S P Thamilselvan as saying after a crucial meeting with the Norwegian Ambassador, Hans Brattskar in the rebel-held Kilinochchi today.

Head of the government Peace Secretariat, Dr Palitha Kohona claimed last week that the government has informed the Norwegian facilitators that it is ready to resume talks with the Tamil Tigers on October 28 and 29 in Switzerland.

The Norwegian Ambassador's visit to Kilinochchi came barely a day after a meeting between the Colombo-based Ambassador of the Co-Chairs and President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The fresh development in the peace front is taking place notably after Sri Lanka's donor co-chairs, who met in Brussels on September 12 to review the deteriorating security situation, announced at the end of the meeting that both the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels have agreed for ''unconditional talks'' in early October in Oslo.

Welcoming the parties' willingness to resume talks unconditionally, the four Co-Chairs, comprising the US, Japan, the EU and Norway, in a joint-statement urged the parties ''cease all violence immediately''.

''The Parties should use this opportunity to show maximum flexibility regarding the arrangements to be proposed by the Facilitator. The meeting should take place urgently in Oslo at the beginning of October, to be agreed to by the Parties,'' the statement said, adding that the Co-Chairs would meet at the end of October to review progress of the proposed talks.

UNI XC AD RN1935