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United States Welcomes Steps Toward Peace in Sri Lanka

22 February 2006

State Department cites talks in Geneva, reduced violence as progress

The United States lauded recent indications of a possible move towards a peaceful future in Sri Lanka.

In a statement released February 22, the U.S. Department of State welcomed the February 22-23 talks in Geneva between the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and a reduction of violence in recent weeks.

The United States also thanked Norway for its “invaluable assistance” in facilitating the peace talks.

Sri Lanka’s minority Tamils have been in armed conflict with the majority Sinhalese government in Colombo since the 1970s, seeking to establish an autonomous region in northeastern Sri Lanka.  The LTTE (also known as the "Tamil Tigers") has been the leading force in that conflict since the 1980s.

The State Department has designated the LTTE as a foreign terrorist organization.

For additional information, see South and Central Asia and Response to Terrorism.

Following is the statement:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
February 22, 2006

MEDIA NOTE

Sri Lanka: Talks in Geneva

The United States joins with the other Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donors' Conference -- Japan, the European Union and Norway -- to issue the following statement.

The Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donors' Conference welcome the February 22-23 discussions between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Geneva as an opportunity to restore confidence in the Ceasefire Agreement and move forward toward a peaceful future.

We urge parties to approach the opportunity with an open and flexible attitude. We also welcome the decreased violence since the January 25 announcement of the talks as a sign that the parties take seriously and fully respect their commitments under the Ceasefire Agreement.

The Co-Chairs commend the invaluable assistance provided by the Government of Norway in its continued role as facilitator. We stand ready to assist Norway in its efforts to bring about a durable peace in Sri Lanka.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)