Norway fails to revive Sri Lanka peace talks

Norway's top envoy Vidar Helgesen told Kumaratunga that no accord had been reached with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on a proposed agenda to reopen talks that have been suspended since April last year.

"Helgesen briefed the president on his discussion with S. P. Thamilselvan of the LTTE ... indicating that there was no agreement on the proposed agenda for the commencement of the direct negotiations between the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE," the president's office said in a statement.

It added, however, that the LTTE had made it clear it remained committed to the Oslo-brokered ceasefire which has been in place since February 2002.

"The president indicated to Helgesen that her government is willing and keen to commence negotiations on an interim authority within the framework of a united state and to reach a durable solution to the conflict," the statement said.

It said the government had hoped the LTTE would agree to resume talks on this basis.

Helgesen, who is Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister, met with Kumaratunga here on Tuesday night, a day after holding talks with the Tiger leadership in the rebel-held town of Kilinochchi in the island's north.

The LTTE's peace secretariat said in a statement Monday that its political wing leader Thamilselvan told Helgesen they were concerned about truce violations in the island's east where a renegade led a split in March.

It said the Tigers also wanted their October 31 proposal for self-rule taken up for discussion.

Kumaratunga had earlier said any discussion on interim arrangements must be coupled with talks on a final settlement to the conflict that has claimed over 60,000 lives since 1972.

Sri Lankan officials had expected Helgesen to try to finalise an agenda, which has been the main sticking point for getting the negotiations going.