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Sinha to discuss peace process with Ranil

By V.S. Sambandan

The Sri Lankan Prime Minster, Ranil Wickremesinghe (right), shares a light moment with the External Affairs Minister, Yaswant Sinha, in Colombo on Thursday. Mr. Sinha is on a two-day official visit to the island. — AFP

COLOMBO July 11. The External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, who arrived here this afternoon on his first visit to Sri Lanka will hold important talks with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, later tonight on a range of issues, including the ongoing peace process.

The talks would include a review of the progress in the current peace process, Mr. Sinha told The Hindu here this evening, ahead of a dinner meeting with Mr. Wickremesinghe. He is scheduled to meet the Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, tomorrow morning.

Mr. Sinha's visit to the island comes during a cessation of hostilities between the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and Colombo, after Norway brokered a ceasefire agreement between the two warring parties. Norway, involved in the conflict resolution process as a ``facilitator,'' has kept India informed of its role in Sri Lanka.

Asked specifically if he would raise the issue of the extradition of the LTTE leader, V. Prabakaran, wanted for the assassination of the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, Mr. Sinha said details of his discussions would be made known after the meetings.

Earlier, when the Sri Lankan Cabinet spokesman, G. L. Peiris, was asked at a press conference if talks with Mr. Sinha would include the extradition issue, he said "I do not think exclusively bilateral issues are going to take centrestage. The Indian Foreign Minister will be very interested in learning the developments in the peace process.'' Mr. Sinha, who arrived from Male, after meeting the Maldives President, M. A. Gayoom, said that the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, would visit the Maldives in September and that he had had "fruitful discussions'' with the Maldivian leadership.

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