Solheim meets SL President Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 May 2006, 18:34 GMT]
Mr. Erik Solheim, Norwegian International Development Minister, arrived at Katunayake International Airport Friday 6. a.m and met with Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse at 11:00 a.m,. Mr. Solheim proceeded to India Friday around 6 p.m, where he will be meeting the Secretary of the Foreign Ministry, sources in Colombo.

Rajapakse was accompanied by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Secretary of Defence and the President's younger brother Gothabaya Rajapakse and Secretary General Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace process, Palitha Kohanna.



Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer who had arrived earlier in Colombo Wednesday also joined Mr. Erick Solheim in his meeting with Mr Rajapakse and is scheduled to meet the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) representatives in Kilinochchi Saturday, said sources.

Meanwhile Hansen-Bauer met Mr. Hakeem, Leader of the Muslim Congress, who requested Mr Bauer to help arrange a meeting with the Liberation Tigers, added the sources.

Mr. Erik Solheim will attend the Co-chairs Meeting in Tokyo on 30 May.

The meeting will bring together representatives of the EU, Japan, the US and Norway for talks on how they can best assist the parties in Sri Lanka in furthering the peace process, according to a press release issued by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.