Solheim arriving today

By C. Raja Mohan

NEW DELHI, MAY 10. The pointman for the Norwegian peace initiative in Sri Lanka, Mr. Erik Solheim, is arriving here tomorrow for a day of consultations with the Indian Government.

When contacted over the telephone in Oslo today on the eve of his departure for New Delhi, Mr. Solheim was unwilling to go into the details of his mission.

``Being discreet is at the heart of the current Norwegian effort to assist the various parties in Sri Lanka in finding a peaceful solution to the conflict,'' Mr. Solheim told The Hindu.

Mr. Solheim, who has been on the road for a while to promote a negotiated settlement of the tragic civil war in Sri Lanka is expected to call on the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Lalit Mansingh and will have detailed discussions with other senior officials.

It is not clear whether Mr. Solheim will travel to Colombo after his talks in New Delhi. But it is likely that the Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka will join him here for the talks with India.

As a member of the Norwegian Parliament, Mr. Solheim has been deeply involved in the Sri Lankan issue for some time. It was only a month ago that Mr. Solheim said he had been formally appointed as an Adviser to the Foreign Minister of Norway.

The spokesman of the Foreign Office here today confirmed that the Government had agreed to receive Mr. Solheim at the Norwegian request. The two sides will exchange views on the Sri Lankan developments, the spokesman added.

Although New Delhi and Oslo are both trying to play down Mr. Solheim's visit, diplomatic sources here say the mission will be crucial in removing any misperceptions in New Delhi about the Norwegian peace effort in Sri Lanka.

Addressing the Parliament last week, the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh had said that the Norwegian initiative is unlikely to work in the present circumstances.

Diplomatic sources here familiar with Mr. Solheim's mission suggest that the Indian offer to mediate in the Sri Lankan conflict and the Norwegian effort to facilitate a dialogue in Sri Lanka need not be ``contradictory'', adding the two initiatives could indeed ``complement each other''.

Norway is fully aware of the abiding and legitimate Indian interests in Sri Lanka, and conscious of the Indian sensitivities, Western diplomats here say. They suggest that one of Mr. Solheim's objectives would be to explain first-hand, the objectives and methodology of his diplomatic endeavours in Sri Lanka.

The Indian establishment is aware that Mr. Solheim has been in constant touch with the Sri Lankan Government as well as the United National Party in the Opposition. Mr. Solheim is also believed to be in continual contact with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Mr. Solheim's talks in New Delhi are expected to reflect Norway's acknowledgement of the reality that India is the most critical external element in the resolution of the internal conflict in Sri Lanka.

Mr. Solheim is also expected to debrief the Government on his recent parleys in Washington with senior officials of the Clinton administration.

Meanwhile, analysts here say that neither the Indian offer of ``mediation'' and nor the Norwegian focus on ``facilitation'' are likely to go very far until the military situation in Jaffna peninsula moves in a more decisive direction.

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