Norway urges Lanka, LTTE to end fighting to ensure talks

Colombo, Oct 11: Hailing the agreement by Lanka's warring parties to resume direct talks on October 28 in Switzerland, a top Norwegian facilitator has urged both the government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil rebels to end the ongoing fightings in order to ''ensure that a meeting actually takes place''.

''It is crucial that the Government and the LTTE now use this opportunity to cease hostilities as called for by the Tokyo Co-Chairs (EU, Japan, USA and Norway) to ensure that a meeting actually takes place,'' Norwegian Minister for International Development Erik Solheim, who is in-charge of the Lankan peace process, said in a statement today.

The Norwegian statement has come a day after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam announced that they were agreed resume direct talks with President Mahinda Rajapaksa's coalition government on October 28 and 29 in a city in Switzerland, but said the organisation would be forced to reconsider its decision ''if military aggression continued''.

Head of the Government Peace Secretariat Dr Palitha Kohona said last week that the government was ready to resume talks with the Tamil Tigers on October 28 and 29 in Switzerland, but made it clear that the government reserves the right to hit back if the Tigers used the negotiation period to resume attacks.

Noting the intransigent positions of the warring parties, Mr Solheim has pointed out that ''the situation on the ground remains difficult'' although the parties have agreed to resume talks.

''The expressed willingness of the parties to meet for direct talks is most welcome. They are taking a small but important step towards continuing the peace process,'' Mr Solheim pointed out.

In the statement, he has also expressed his gratitude for the Swiss Government's ''strong support for the peace process in Lanka and its willingness once again to arrange a meeting between the parties''.

UNI

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