The Hindu : Norway envoy briefs Sibal on Colombo-LTTE talks

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Saturday, Sep 21, 2002

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Norway envoy briefs Sibal on Colombo-LTTE talks

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI Sept. 20 . Norwegian facilitators will work on an ``agenda'' with the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE for the next round of peace talks in Thailand scheduled to commence on October 31. Eric Solheim, Norway's special envoy for the peace process, who met with the Foreign Secretary, Kanwal Sibal, this morning, said he had briefed the Indian official about the talks. ``I conveyed all the details of what had happened (to Mr. Sibal),'' Mr. Solheim said, adding that he also met informally with the Congress leader, Natwar Singh. When asked what had been the Indian response to his briefing, Mr. Solheim told this correspondent that New Delhi was ``behind and supportive'' of the ongoing dialogue between Colombo and the Tigers.

To a question on what would happen between now and October 31, when the second round of talks are expected to commence, the Norwegian special envoy said the LTTE negotiator, Anton Balasingham, would travel to the Vannni region to brief the Tiger leader, Vellupillai Prabakaran, about the talks. ``Mr. Balasingham will brief Prabakaran about what has transpired,'' he said, adding that ``other'' LTTE leaders would also meet to discuss the details of what had happened in Thailand.

In response to another question, Mr. Solheim said it was likely that he and the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister, Vidar Helgessen, would travel to Vanni to meet Mr. Prabakaran before the next round of talks commenced. It is already known that Rauf Hakeem, leader of the Sri Lankan Muslim Congress, will travel along with a delegation of Muslim leaders to hold discussions with the LTTE chief.

When asked if progress in the peace talks could lead to an eventual face-to-face meeting between Mr. Prabakaran and the Sri Lankan leaders, Chandrika Kumaratunga and Ranil Wickremesinghe, Mr. Solheim said he would not like to speculate on such a possibility. ``The parties concerned have not decided yet,'' Mr. Solheim stated.

Mr. Natwar Singh said Mr. Solheim had been good enough to keep the Congress informed about the developments in the peace process. While the Congress welcomed the peace process, Mr. Singh said the Government of India and the Congress would continue to insist on the extradition of Mr. Prabakaran to face trial in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

According to Mr. Singh, his party was for the peaceful solution of the Sri Lankan question, but was against the creation of ``Eelam''. The Congress, he said, wanted a solution within the framework of the Sri Lankan Constitution, which safeguarded the rights of the Tamils.

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