Mahinda Rajapakse to hold talks with TNA, EPDP before leaving to India

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 June 2010, 20:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse has invited the representatives of Tamil National (TNA) for talks on the eve of his visit to India Tuesday, sources in Colombo said. The president has also invited representatives of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) led by Minister Douglas Devananda for talks to be held following his meeting with TNA representatives Monday evening, the sources added. Meanwhile, the joint statement by Sri Lanka and India to be released following the meeting with the heads of both governments in India is expected to include the various development projects that are to be launched in Jaffna peninsula, the sources added.

Inviting EPDP for talks is a tactic adopted by President Mahinda Rajapakse to show that EPDP is being offered equal opportunity in the talks prior to his visit to India, political observers in Jaffna said.

Meanwhile, Minister Douglas Devananda is also named as a member of the delegation led by President Mahinda Rajapakse on his visit to India for talks, Colombo sources said.

Renovation of Palaali airport and Kaangkeasanthu’rai harobour, reopening of Achchuveali Industrial Estate and the opening of a Cultural Centre in Jaffna are some of the development projects that are expected to be announced in the joint statement of India and Sri Lanka.