CFA, P-TOMS discussed in Helgesen, Kumaratunga meeting

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 07:54 GMT]
The Norwegian Depurty Foreign Minister and the facilitator of the peace process Mr. Vidar Helgesen met Sri Lanka's President Ms. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga at her official residence Thursday night, Presidential Secretariat sources said. The Norwegian Deputy FM discussed the current state of the peace process with the SL President along with the issues which confront the implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA). Mr. Helgesen also discussed the issues related to the scuttled P-TOMS deal, sources added. The meeting which began at 9 p.m. continued till 10.30 p.m. The Norwegian Deputy FM is visiting Kilinochchi Friday to meet the LTTE's Political Head Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan.

Ceasefire Agreement and the P-TOMS are the prime topics to be discussed at the Killinochchi meeting Friday, sources in Colombo said.

On his return from Killinochchi, Mr. Helgessen will meet the Sri Lankan Prime Minister and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party's Presidential candidate Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse and the Leader of the Opposition Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Peace Secretariat Chief Dr.Jayantha Danapala and the Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Mr. Hagrup Haukland.

On Saturday and Sunday Helgessen will visit the tsunami hit areas in the down south of Sri Lanka to inspect the relief works that are being carried out by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in the areas affected by tsunami.

The Government of Norway has donated SL Rs. 400 million for the tsunami relief works in the Island, embassy sources said.