Ranil visits A9 entry point to mark MoU signing

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 February 2002, 11:30 GMT]
(Photos) Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the main entry point on the A9 highway to the LTTE held Vanni region Friday afternoon to mark the historic signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a permanent cease-fire between the Liberation Tigers and Colombo. The Prime Minister was accorded a reception at the last SLA point on the edge of the no man's land supervised by the ICRC.

Ministers Milinda Moragoda, Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena, the Minister of Defence, Mr. Tilak Marapne and the three service commanders accompanied Mr. Wickremesinghe to the entry point at Vilakkuvaiththakulam, about 10 kilometres north of Vavuniya town. The Norwegian Ambassador, Mr. Jon Westborg was also present.

The government agents for Vavuniya and Mannar accorded a reception to the PM at the Vilakkuvaiththakulam point.

The Prime Minister later addressed a press conference at the Vavuniya District Secretariat regarding the MOU between his government and the Liberation Tigers.

• (Photo below left) The Norwegian Ambassador at the SLAF base in Vavuniya town where he arrived by helicopter with the PM.
  
  
• (Photo below right)Mr. Wickremesinghe with Defence Minister Mr. Marapane and Minister for rehabilitation, Dr. Jayawardena.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• (Photo above left)Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and other cabinet ministers.
• (Photo above right)A woman taking plastic chairs and a new bicycle through the entry point in the searing sun.
  
  
• (Photo below left) SLA commander with the Mr. N. Viththyatharan, the associate editor of the Uthayan, the Tamil daily published in Jaffna.
• (Photo below right)The SLAF commander and the SLN commander.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• (Photo above left)Vavuniya GA Mr. K. Ganesh and Mannar GA Mr. V. Viswalingam near the reception point near the no man's land monitored by the ICRC.
• (Photo above right)Minister for Economic Reforms, Mr. Milinda Moragoda and Gen. Rohan Daluwatte, the Sri Lanka army's Chief of Defence Staff.