Norway minister in Vanni on 17 April – VoT

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 April 2002, 08:24 GMT]
The Deputy Foreign Minister of Norway Mr.Vidar Helgesen will visit the Vanni on 17 April to meet the leader of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Pirapaharan, the Voice of Tigers radio said. He will hold discussions and arrive at decisions on direct negotiations between the LTTE and Colombo, according to the radio. The Norwegian ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Jon Westborg and an embassy official flew to Puthukkudiyiruppu in the district of Mullaithivu in a Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter Tuesday morning to discuss the arrangements regarding the meeting between the Norwegian minister and the leader of the Liberation Tigers.

The Norwegian envoy met Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, the head of the LTTE’s political wing, the LTTE’s political advisor, Mr. Anton Balasingham and Ms. Adele Balasingham.

It was confirmed at this meeting that the A9 road to Jaffna would be opened on 8 April and that the Thamil Eelam Transport Organisation (TETO) would initially run a service between the Muhamalai in Jaffna to Omanthai, north of Vavuniya and in the second stage would expand its operations between Jaffna and Colombo, the radio said.

Repairing the destroyed roads in the Vanni and purchasing new buses to improve the transport service in the region were also discussed at the meeting between the Norwegian envoy and the LTTE officials, according to the VoT.

It would be possible to reach important decisions regarding the talks between Colombo and the LTTE when the Norway’s deputy foreign minister visits the Vanni, the radio quoted Mr. Balasingham as saying.