India ready to play role in Lanka peace process

[Vaanampaadi]

<b>India ready to play role in Lanka peace process</b>

India ready to play role in Lanka peace process
Saturday December 31 2005 08:23 IST

NEW DELHI: With the ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE rebels under "strain", India has indicated that it is ready to "encourage" parties to bring the peace process back on track.

As Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse concluded his official business and flew out of Delhi on Friday, India felt that he gave a sense of being "flexible" on the question of devolution of power.

In a joint press statement issued on Friday, India felt that ceasefire violations should be stopped and also hoped "a political settlement of the problem based on devolution, openness, transparency and inclusivity would emerge through talks between the parties concerned".

Rajapakse, during his talks with PM Manmohan Singh, briefed him on his approach to the peace process to achieve "maximum devolution" which preserves the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. "The two sides agreed that an enduring solution can emerge only through internal political processes that promote consensus and reconciliation."

India offered support to Sri Lanka"s efforts to reconstruction and development in north and east of the country where the LTTE cadres are said to be active. The two sides decided to build jointly a coal-based 500 MW power project in the Trincomalee region. It would be a joint venture between the National Thermal Power Corporation and the Ceylon Electricity Board.

India has also announced assistance in constructing a library and a stadium in Jaffna, agreed on collaborating with Sri Lanka in setting up an information and communication technology park.

New Delhi is involved in rehabilitating a hospital in Tricomalee that was damaged during tsunami.

The two sides also discussed the Sethusamudram project and agreed to assess the environment impact of the project.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?I...tories&Topic=0&

[cannon]

India cool on new Sri Lanka role

President Mahinda Rajapakse ® meets PM Manmohan Singh

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has ended his trip to India, [size=18]<b>but Delhi has made no pledge to become more involved in the peace process</b> there.
Mr Rajapakse had said before his visit it was important for India to become involved, amid fears Sri Lanka might slide back to civil war.

In a joint statement on Friday, India said it would provide "intellectual and academic resources".

Sri Lanka has seen a big upsurge in violence this month.

A total of 24 military personnel died in two mine attacks in the north in the space of a week, while on Sunday a Tamil MP was shot dead in the eastern city of Batticaloa.

International peace monitors in Sri Lanka have expressed deep concern for the four-year-old ceasefire and said the government and Tamil Tiger rebels must resume peace talks immediately.

Peacekeeping mission

The joint statement made no mention of a greater government-level role for India.

Mr Rajapakse had said before his four-day trip he wanted Delhi to become part of the "co-chairs" - a group of foreign donors who are key backers of the peace process.

Both sides emphasised the need for the strict observance of the ceasefire and immediate resumption of talks aimed at strengthening the ceasefire

Joint statement

"They are our closest neighbour and it is very important for me to have them involved in the process," he said.

India sent a peacekeeping force to Sri Lanka in the 1980s but its soldiers ended up fighting the Tigers. About 1,200 Indian soldiers were killed.

Friday's statement said India "reiterated its support for a process of seeking a negotiated political settlement acceptable to all sections of Sri Lankan society".

It added: "The Indian side expressed the hope that a political settlement of the ethnic issue... would emerge through negotiations between the parties concerned."

Talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Tigers have been stalled since April 2003.

December has been the bloodiest month since the February 2002 ceasefire brought a halt to two decades of hostilities that cost more than 64,000 lives.

The statement said India and Sri Lanka "emphasised the need for the strict observance of the ceasefire and immediate resumption of talks aimed at strengthening the ceasefire".

Mr Rajapakse's visit was his first overseas since winning the presidential election last month.

His visit included a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asi...sia/4568940.stm

[cannon]

Indo-Lanka investment pacts agreed


India has agreed to help development in the north and east
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has initiated new economic partnerships with neighbouring India in his first trip abroad, a senior Sri Lankan minister said.
Minister of Enterprise Development Rohitha Bogollagama said the presidential delegation was instrumental in commencing a new move towards benefiting from India's huge economical power.

Number of new partnerships in economic, technical and investment fields were agreed during the visit, the minister told BBC Sandeshaya (bbcsinahala.com) from the Indian capital, Delhi.

Peace process

In a joint statement on Friday, India said it has agreed to offer financial and technical assistance to a series of projects including developing the north and east of the country.


Indo-Lanka agreements

[size=18]<b>However, India has played down the "bigger role" expected by Sri Lankan leadership in the peace process.</b>

Stressing that a political solution should be found "through negotiations between the parties concerned", India said it would provide "intellectual and academic resources" for the process.

President Rajapaksa ended a four-day official visit to India on Friday.

The president has held talks with his Indian counterpart, Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi and several other senior personalities.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/20...president.shtml