Hakeem meets Indian Foreign Minister

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 2003, 18:51 GMT]
Mr. Rauff Hakeem, the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and a Minister in the United National Front Government, met with the visiting Indian Foreign Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, Tuesday evening, and told the latter that it was of paramount importance to safeguard Muslim interests in the proposed Interim Administration for the Northeast, sources said.

Mr. Hakeem, who met with Mr. Sinha at the dinner hosted by Indian Highcommission in Colombo for the visiting Minister, explained his party’s stand and said his party would not compromise its demands, the sources said.

He said that he was happy to note that India was showing concern that all communities should benefit from a solution, and added that he was awaiting the counter-proposals of the Liberation Tigers to study the proposals and provide his suggestions and opinions.