Sri Lanka’s President meets Norwegian envoys

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 November 2003, 16:54 GMT]
Norwegian deputy foreign minister Mr. Vidar Helgesen, special peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Mr. Erik Solheim, Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr.Hans Brattskar, and an officer of the Norwegian embassy in Colombo, Mr. Tomas Strangeland, met with Sri Lanka’s President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, and discussed the resumption of peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at the Janadipathi Mandiraya (President’s Residence) in Colombo Wednesday, sources said.

Former foreign Minister and advisor to the President, Mr. Laksman Kadiragamar, also attended that meeting. The country’s political situation also figured in the meeting, Presidential secretariat sources said.

Mr. Helgesen and Mr. Solheim arrived in Colombo Monday night in an attempt to revive the stalled peace talks between the United National Front government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). On Tuesday night they met the Prime Minister, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, at ‘Temple Trees’, his official residence in Colombo.

The Norwegian delegation will visit Kilinochchi Thursday and hold discussions with the LTTE, sources said.


Sri Lanka's President and Norwegian deputy foreign minister, Mr. Vidar Helgesen, shake hands at the President's Office in Colombo.



Sri Lanka's President Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, meets Norwegian envoys (L-R) Brattskar, Helgesen and Solheim.