10-22-2003, 10:12 PM
<span style='font-size:25pt;line-height:100%'>Norway makes fresh bid to arrange Sri Lanka peace talks </span>
Wednesday, 22-Oct-2003 7:01AM Story from AFP / Amal Jayasinghe
Copyright 2003 by Agence France-Presse (via ClariNet)
COLOMBO, Oct 22 (AFP) - Norwegian peace brokers are expected to visit Sri Lanka early next month to arrange a face-to-face meeting between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to revive stalled peace talks, officials said Wednesday.
Peace envoy Erik Solheim was due to hold talks with negotiators from both sides to arrange a meeting after the Tiger rebels reveal their power-sharing proposals to Norway on October 31.
"He will be making a regular visit early next month to arrange the next round of talks," a Norwegian embassy spokeswoman said.
Diplomatic sources and government officials said Solheim was expected to arrange a preliminary meeting that would set the agenda, a venue and a date for a full round of talks, possibly early next year, as the Colombo government will be preoccupied with the national budget until a week before Christmas.
Earlier this week, the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they were ready to rejoin talks with the government as they prepare to unveil their first ever comprehensive power-sharing plan.
Tiger officials in the rebel-held northern town of Kilinochchi, 330 kilometres (206 miles) north of here, said they will present their plan to Norwegian representatives on October 31.
They had pulled out of talks in April accusing Colombo of not delivering on promises made at six rounds of talks since September last year.
But a Tiger negotiator known by his nom de guerre, Karuna, said Monday they were also willing to re-enter direct talks.
"We are ready to attend the peace talks any time and we will join the talks even if the government of Sri Lanka invites us before reviewing our proposals, " Karuna was quoted as saying in the pro-rebel tamilnet.com website.
Diplomats said the rebel document would be an important milestone in attempts to politically end the island's drawn out ethnic bloodshed as it will be the first time Tigers will put down their position in writing.
The Tigers have been travelling in Europe meeting with their legal and constitutional experts to prepare a set of counter proposals to Colombo's July 17 offer of a Tiger-dominated interim administration for embattled areas.
The United States as well as neighbouring India have expressed the hope that the Tigers would not make "unreasonable" demands in their proposals, asking for political power in the island's embattled regions.
"India expects that the response to the proposals made by the Sri Lankan government in July 2003 will be reasonable and comprehensive," said a joint statement by India and Sri Lanka at the end of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to New Delhi Tuesday.
India's support for the peace bid is also seen by diplomats as being crucial as New Delhi is seen as the regional super power with a geo-political interest in the developments in its southern backyard.
"India would welcome a resolution of the current impasse in the peace process and an early resumption of negotiations. Any interim arrangement should be an integral part of the final settlement and should be in the framework of the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka," the joint Indo-Lanka statement said.
aj/an/mmc
SriLanka-Tamil
http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/ce/Qsrilank...l.RGS7_DOM.html
Wednesday, 22-Oct-2003 7:01AM Story from AFP / Amal Jayasinghe
Copyright 2003 by Agence France-Presse (via ClariNet)
COLOMBO, Oct 22 (AFP) - Norwegian peace brokers are expected to visit Sri Lanka early next month to arrange a face-to-face meeting between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to revive stalled peace talks, officials said Wednesday.
Peace envoy Erik Solheim was due to hold talks with negotiators from both sides to arrange a meeting after the Tiger rebels reveal their power-sharing proposals to Norway on October 31.
"He will be making a regular visit early next month to arrange the next round of talks," a Norwegian embassy spokeswoman said.
Diplomatic sources and government officials said Solheim was expected to arrange a preliminary meeting that would set the agenda, a venue and a date for a full round of talks, possibly early next year, as the Colombo government will be preoccupied with the national budget until a week before Christmas.
Earlier this week, the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they were ready to rejoin talks with the government as they prepare to unveil their first ever comprehensive power-sharing plan.
Tiger officials in the rebel-held northern town of Kilinochchi, 330 kilometres (206 miles) north of here, said they will present their plan to Norwegian representatives on October 31.
They had pulled out of talks in April accusing Colombo of not delivering on promises made at six rounds of talks since September last year.
But a Tiger negotiator known by his nom de guerre, Karuna, said Monday they were also willing to re-enter direct talks.
"We are ready to attend the peace talks any time and we will join the talks even if the government of Sri Lanka invites us before reviewing our proposals, " Karuna was quoted as saying in the pro-rebel tamilnet.com website.
Diplomats said the rebel document would be an important milestone in attempts to politically end the island's drawn out ethnic bloodshed as it will be the first time Tigers will put down their position in writing.
The Tigers have been travelling in Europe meeting with their legal and constitutional experts to prepare a set of counter proposals to Colombo's July 17 offer of a Tiger-dominated interim administration for embattled areas.
The United States as well as neighbouring India have expressed the hope that the Tigers would not make "unreasonable" demands in their proposals, asking for political power in the island's embattled regions.
"India expects that the response to the proposals made by the Sri Lankan government in July 2003 will be reasonable and comprehensive," said a joint statement by India and Sri Lanka at the end of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to New Delhi Tuesday.
India's support for the peace bid is also seen by diplomats as being crucial as New Delhi is seen as the regional super power with a geo-political interest in the developments in its southern backyard.
"India would welcome a resolution of the current impasse in the peace process and an early resumption of negotiations. Any interim arrangement should be an integral part of the final settlement and should be in the framework of the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka," the joint Indo-Lanka statement said.
aj/an/mmc
SriLanka-Tamil
http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/ce/Qsrilank...l.RGS7_DOM.html
Truth 'll prevail