Christina Rocca arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 April 2005, 05:18 GMT]
Ms Christina Rocca, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State arrived in Colombo Monday night on a two day visit to survey United States-funded tsunami reconstruction efforts and meet with Sri Lankan government officials. She is scheduled to tour the tsunami devastated coastal areas in the districts of Amparai and Batticaloa.

Later she is to hold crucial talks regarding the peace process and the proposed joint mechanism on tsunami relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction programme with the leaders of government and opposition, diplomatic sources said.

She will also hold discussion with Mr.Erik Solheim, Norwegian special peace envoy regarding the proposal of setting up of a joint mechanism. Mr.Erik Solheim is already in Sri Lanka on a five-day visit.

The meeting will take place on Wednesday, an official at the Norwegian embassy in Colombo said.

Meanwhile, Mr.Erik Solheim is to pay a visit to Batticaloa and to hold talks with Muslim leaders of Kattankudi, a traditional Muslim town. Later he is to meet officials of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), security forces and the LTTE in the east, sources said.

He is also expected to visit tsunami affected coastal areas in the district, the sources said.