LTTE leadership studies fresh government agenda for talks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 December 2004, 15:41 GMT]
The leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is studying fresh Sri Lankan government agenda for future talks, Mr. Anton Balasingham, the movement’s chief negotiator and political strategist told TamilNet Tuesday.

Norwegian Special Envoy Erik Solheim, who met Mr. Balasingham Monday, brought a fresh agenda from Sri Lanka government for future negotiations.

The head of the government’s Peace Secretariat, Mr Jayantha Dhanapala, sent the new agenda for the consideration of the LTTE leadership through Mr. Solheim, who spent a week in Colombo on an official visit.

However, Mr. Balasingham declined to reveal the contents of the proposals or make comments on them.

“I have forwarded the document to [LTTE leader] Mr. V. Pirapaharan,” he said.

“The LTTE leadership is carefully studying the proposals and will discuss them before responding,” Mr. Balasingham said.

He declined to say when the LTTE would make its response.

Mr. Solheim met Mr. Balasingham at the LTTE theoretician’s London residence for three hours on Monday morning, when they discussed matters following from Mr. Solheim’s recent visits to Sri Lanka and India.

Mr. Solheim was accompanied to the meeting by the Norwegian ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Hans Brattskar.