Thamilchelvan meets Solheim in Colombo, returns to Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 April 2005, 09:04 GMT]
Visiting Norwegian Special Peace Envoy, Mr. Erik Solheim, on Wednesday met Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, Political Head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who was returning to Kilinochchi concluding an almost 40 days long diplomatic mission to Europe and to South Africa. Mr. Thamilchelvan during his mission to Europe had held discussions with government leaders of more than twelve countries regarding the current state of the stalled peace process and the hindrance on the part of the Government of Sri Lanka in establishing a Joint Mechanism to implement a tsunami relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction programme in the northeast.

Mr.Solheim and Mr.Thamilchelvan held wide-ranging discussions on the latest position of the proposal for establishing the Joint Mechanism, diplomatic sources in Colombo said.

The meeting was held at a hotel near the international airport before the LTTE delegation got onboard a special military helicopter to return to Kilinochchi.

Mr. Solheim, who has been meeting various political party leaders for the past 3 days, also undertook a visit to Batticaloa to personally inspect the security situation there.




Mr.Thamilchelvan and his delegation reached Killincochi in a Sri Lanka Air Force Helicopter Wednesday morning 11 AM, sources in Kilinochchi said.