04-07-2004, 02:47 PM
India to play more direct role in Sri Lanka peace process
<b>Associated Press, Wed April 7, 2004 07:26 EDT . COLOMBO, April 7 (Kyodo)</b> India will play a more direct role in the effort to end Sri Lanka - 's civil war, Asia's longest running conflict, [b]<span style='color:#ff0000'>new Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said Wednesday. Sen admitted that India has so far not played a direct role in Sri Lanka - 's peace process, concentrating instead on strengthening the enabling framework within which negotiations took place. Kadirgamar served six years as President Chandrika Kumaratunga's foreign minister until December 2001 and served as her foreign affairs adviser thereafter.
He told reporters that Norway, which brokered a cease-fire arrangement that has held since February 2002, will ''certainly remain facilitator...not mediator, arbitrator or anything else.'' He also said the new government will continue talks on an India-Sri Lanka - Defense Cooperation Agreement initiated by the government of former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. ''These discussions will continue,'' Sen endorsed. Sen said India had ''some ideas'' on how India could be more directly involved in Sri Lanka - 's peace process, without elaborating.
Kadirgamar also said that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the junior partner in the victorious United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), was keen on establishing close relations with India. The JVP won 40 of the UPFA's 105 seats in last week's general election and is widely considered the wind beneath the wings of that victory. A strident anti-Indian stance was a feature of two insurrections the JVP led in 1971 and 1988-89. Kadirgamar acknowledged the role that Wickremesinghe had made towards consolidating and strengthening relations between Sri Lanka - and India during his two year tenure.
''We are on the verge of a golden era in relations between India and Sri Lanka - ,'' he said. ''India has a natural, legitimate and historic interest in the destiny of Sri Lanka - .'' Sen left for consultations in New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon after his meeting with Kadirgamar and the new prime minister.Japan and western powers led by the United States, European Union and Norway have been the chief external players assisting Sri Lanka - 's drive to end its two-decade civil war that has killed around 65,000 people. But India has always been kept fully briefed on all developments.</span>
<b>Associated Press, Wed April 7, 2004 07:26 EDT . COLOMBO, April 7 (Kyodo)</b> India will play a more direct role in the effort to end Sri Lanka - 's civil war, Asia's longest running conflict, [b]<span style='color:#ff0000'>new Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said Wednesday. Sen admitted that India has so far not played a direct role in Sri Lanka - 's peace process, concentrating instead on strengthening the enabling framework within which negotiations took place. Kadirgamar served six years as President Chandrika Kumaratunga's foreign minister until December 2001 and served as her foreign affairs adviser thereafter.
He told reporters that Norway, which brokered a cease-fire arrangement that has held since February 2002, will ''certainly remain facilitator...not mediator, arbitrator or anything else.'' He also said the new government will continue talks on an India-Sri Lanka - Defense Cooperation Agreement initiated by the government of former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. ''These discussions will continue,'' Sen endorsed. Sen said India had ''some ideas'' on how India could be more directly involved in Sri Lanka - 's peace process, without elaborating.
Kadirgamar also said that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the junior partner in the victorious United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), was keen on establishing close relations with India. The JVP won 40 of the UPFA's 105 seats in last week's general election and is widely considered the wind beneath the wings of that victory. A strident anti-Indian stance was a feature of two insurrections the JVP led in 1971 and 1988-89. Kadirgamar acknowledged the role that Wickremesinghe had made towards consolidating and strengthening relations between Sri Lanka - and India during his two year tenure.
''We are on the verge of a golden era in relations between India and Sri Lanka - ,'' he said. ''India has a natural, legitimate and historic interest in the destiny of Sri Lanka - .'' Sen left for consultations in New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon after his meeting with Kadirgamar and the new prime minister.Japan and western powers led by the United States, European Union and Norway have been the chief external players assisting Sri Lanka - 's drive to end its two-decade civil war that has killed around 65,000 people. But India has always been kept fully briefed on all developments.</span>
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