All foreign assistance should be directed through state, says Harim Peiris

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 January 2005, 17:26 GMT]
''The government has a policy that all foreign assistance should be directed through the state and not through any non-state actor'', said Mr.Harim Peiris, Presidential media spokesman and an advisor to Ministry of Refugees Resettlement and Rehabilitation responding to a question at a press briefing held at the Center for National Operations (CNO) in Colombo Wednesday. ''As far as the government is concerned, the policy still remains the same'', he said. ''This [the negotiation process] is totally different from the political peace process, this is not about political peace but about humanitarian peace,'' he said claiming that the talks with the LTTE is ''progressing and advancing''.

He said that the government is engaged in working out an arrangement for effective and equitable distribution.

''This process is highly encouraged by the International donor community,'' he added.

Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who also spoke at the press meeting said that there is a ''serious discussion underway with the LTTE, but nothing is agreed so far.''

''There is no paper, there is no finality as yet,'' Mr. Kadirgamar observed while stating that ''we have to leave the liking and disliking aside and work together to face the common disaster''.