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Peace process on track : Talks in June

OSLO, Thursday (Reuters) - Norway said on Thursday that peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to end nearly two decades of ethnic war were on track to start in Thailand in June.

The Norwegian Foreign Ministry played down suggestions by the LTTE that talks to end nearly two decades of bloody conflict had been delayed by Colombo dragging its feet over the Norwegian-brokered truce signed in February.

"The agreement is to start peace talks somewhere in Thailand in June," ministry spokesman Karsten Klepsvik told Reuters.

"The process is on track. There could be some setbacks along the way, but the process is so solid that we believe it would withstand some setbacks if such should occur," he said.

Talks to end the ethnic war in Sri Lanka had been widely expected to start in May, but Klepsvik said that schedule had never officially been agreed by the parties.

"This is a process that changes along the way," he said.

The LTTE reported on their Website earlier on Thursday that talks had been delayed because the Sri Lankan government had failed to fully implement the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

The talks in Thailand would be the first in seven years between the LTTE and the government.

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