Peace envoy meets Kumaratunga, to hold talks with rebels
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, June 22, IRNA
Sri Lanka-Tension
In a bid to ease tensions over the controversial tsunami aid sharing plans with Tamil Tigers, Norway's talks with Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga ahead of his meeting with rebel leaders.
Diplomatic sources said Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen's meeting with Kumaratunga was a part of efforts to try and finalize the tsunami aid sharing deal between the two sides as a confidence building measure for the currently stalled peace process.
Helgesen will travel to the rebel-held town of Kilinochchi Wednesday for talks on setting up a joint mechanism to distribute tsunami aid, officials said.
Details of the talks between Kumaratunga and Helgesen were not immediately available. But, Kumaratunga was expected to discuss the aid deal with Helgesen.
The visit comes days after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cautioned Colombo against "politicizing" foreign aid for tsunami survivors, particularly those in rebel-held areas.
Tiger political wing leader S P Thamilselvan said over the weekend that working with Colombo to distribute foreign aid could help build confidence among the warring parties, but it will not be directly linked to the peace process.
Kumaratunga has said the proposed "joint mechanism" with the rebels was the most equitable way of ensuring foreign aid was delivered to people in rebel-held areas of the island's northeast.
Norwegian-brokered peace talks have been on the hold since April 2003 and diplomatic attempts to revive them remain inconclusive.
However, both sides have agreed to abide by an Oslo-arranged truce that has been in place since February 2002.
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