Aid may help resurrect Lankan peace talks

But the government -- which senior officials say will formalise the aid-sharing pact in days -- must also agree to discuss the Tigers' long-standing demands for interim self-rule in the north and east, S.P. Thamilselvan, the leader of the rebels' political wing, told Reuters.

"Most certainly we welcome such a gesture from the government to sign (the joint mechanism)," Thamilselvan said in a weekend interview in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) northern stronghold of Kilinochchi.

"But having said that, just signing the agreement is not going to pave the way for peace talks. Implemen-tation is the most important aspect," he added.

"Immediately after implementation, if sincere action is taken, well and good, it will open the way for the peace process."

His comments were in stark contrast to rebel warnings earlier this month that government delays in signing the aid pact, which is still pending nearly six months after the tsunami hit, risked plunging the island into a "very serious and dangerous" situation.

Resumption of peace talks would be the most significant step in Sri Lanka's protracted peace process since talks broke down in 2003, just a year after the warring sides agreed to a ceasefire.