Ready for unconditional talks but no let-up in war: Kadirgamar

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, DEC. 12. Sri Lanka today said it was ready to begin unconditional talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam immediately but ruled out the de-escalation of war or lifting of economic embargoes before the commencement of negotiations.

The Foreign Minister, Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, told a news conference that these issues could be considered by the Government as talks progressed.

``In the Government's view, the de-escalation of war could be considered only as the talks progress towards a definitive stage in resolving the conflict. Issues concerning the normalisation of civilian life could also be discussed in the course of the proposed talks,'' he said, reading out a prepared text.

The statement, which had been approved by the President, Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga, stressed that for talks to begin, the LTTE would have to agree on the ``core issues'' that should make up the agenda. ``The core issues, as the Government has consistently maintained, are: the stoppage of war, the stoppage of all terrorist killings, the resolution of the Tamil people's problems through negotiated political settlement and a speedy resolution of the problems of those displaced by war, etc.''

In a direct reference to the LTTE leader, Mr. Velupillai Prabhakaran's pledge to reconquer Jaffna, the statement also reiterated that the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka was non- negotiable.

With a week to go before Sri Lanka's meeting with its donors in Paris, this was the first official response to the peace overtures made by the LTTE leader last month and a reiteration of the Government's position set out by the President in Parliament last month.

Responding to questions, Mr. Kadirgamar said it was not unknown for negotiations to take place in the background of war. ``We tried confidence-building measures in 1994-95 without success. The LTTE is a very experienced military organisation, they are not babies conducting the war by accident. They are perfectly capable of fighting a war and talking,'' he said. The Government too was not demanding that the LTTE first stop inflicting civilian casualties and carrying out political assassinations.

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Section  : International
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