Tigers seek "normalcy in Tamil areas"

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 November 2000, 17:20 GMT]
Norway's Special envoy Mr.Eric Solheim who returned from Vanni after meeting the leader of the Liberation Tigers, V.Pirapaharan told journalists in Colombo Thursday that the LTTE had not laid down any precondition to begin talks with the Sri Lankan Government. He said the LTTE leader brought to the notice of the Norway's delegation that the Tamil areas the island was suffering under the economic embargo imposed by the Sri Lankan government and that he wanted quick return of normalcy in the northeast, Mr.Solheim said.

He added a quick solution to the deep- rooted ethnic problem could not be expected. No one could predict when the two parties would commence talks. It was a first step towards to bring the warring parties to negotiating table, Solheim said.

He said the delegation visited Vanni at an invitation extended by the Liberation Tigers and with the permission of Sri Lankan government he went to Mallavi to meet Mr.Pirabakaran.

Mr.Jon Westborg, the Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo and Ms. Kjersti Tromsdal an executive officer in the Norwegian Foreign Ministry who accompanied Solheim to the Vanni were at the press conference at Paradise Hotel, Collupitiya in Colombo.

Solheim said that he is due to meet President Chandrika Kumaratunge and the leader of the opposition Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Friday to brief them about the outcome of the talks.