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India welcomed on Thursday the first round of peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE, saying that progress had been made on important issues.

The government of India has always welcomed the peace process in Sri Lanka," Indian foreign ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao told a daily press briefing. "The first round of talks has ended with progress on some important issues."

Erik Solheim, who has led Norway's bid to broker peace in Sri Lanka, will visit the Indian capital New Delhi on Friday to meet India's top foreign ministry bureaucrat, Kanwal Sibal, Rao announced.

His talks here are expected to centre around the first round of discussions. At the end of the talks on Wednesday in Thailand, the LTTE took everyone by surprise with the announcement that they had dropped their demand for a separate state. Former Indian prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral, a strong supporter for negotiations aimed at ending the Sri Lankan conflict, welcomed the announcement.

I think it goes to the credit of both that the first round (of talks) have gone off well and I think it offers hope and I am sure that the problem can be sorted out," Gujral told AFP.

The United States yesterday welcomed the successful outcome of the first round of peace talks, saying the negotiating process would hopefully lead to a end to the conflict. "We sense the conditions are favourable for a desirable outcome," the US Embassy in Colombo said in a press statement.

Britain's Foreign Office Minister Mike O' Brien has commended the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE for the courage they displayed in ensuring a positive start to the peace process in Thailand.

He has said: "The successful conclusion of the first round of talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE is an important first step on the long road to lasting peace for Sri Lanka. I pay tribute to the Norwegian facilitation team and the Government of Thailand for their contribution to getting the talks started.

We encourage the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE to build on what has been achieved in the first round and take the process forward."

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