Helgesen to visit Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 October 2003, 18:39 GMT]
The Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Vidar Helgesen, will arrive in Colombo on November 10 to revive the suspended peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said the GoSL's cabinet spokesman, Minister G.L.Peiris, at Thursday's press briefing held at Information Department office, media sources said.

Mr.Peiris further said that the GoSL has asked the Norwegian facilitator to take immediate steps to prepare the groundwork for the future peace talks with the LTTE. He expressed confidence that face-to-face peace talks between the two parties concerned could be resumed in January next year.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian ambassador in Colombo, Mr. Hans Brattskar, met with the Sri Lankan President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, Wednesday evening and handed over a letter by the Norwegian Prime Minister, the Presidential Secretariat said in a press release.

The President’s Advisor on international affairs and Peoples’ Alliance national list parliamentarian, Mr.Lakshman Kadirgamar, also participated in the meeting the Norwegian ambassador had with the President, the press release added.