UK welcomes LTTE, GoSL agreement

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 January 2006, 11:35 GMT]
The British Foreign and Commonwealth office in a press release issued Thursday welcomed the agreement between Liberation Tigers and the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to talks and said the British Government "strongly appreciates and supports the efforts of Erik Solheim and his Norwegian colleagues in their important facilitation work.”

Full text of the press release follows:

On hearing of the agreement of the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to meet in Geneva in February to discuss improved implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement, Dr Kim Howells, MP, said:

“I am very pleased that the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE have agreed to meet for talks on implementing the Ceasefire Agreement.

This is an important step. The Sri Lankan people want and deserve peace. Maintaining the ceasefire and ending violence are essential for all parties in Sri Lanka to create the right climate to take the country towards a lasting solution.

The British Government strongly appreciates and supports the efforts of Erik Solheim and his Norwegian colleagues in their important facilitation work.”