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Helgesen, Balasingham due in Sri Lanka 

by Ranga Jayasuriya

Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen and LTTE Chief Negotiator Anton Balasingham will arrive in Sri Lanka to work out the agenda of the second round of the formal talks, diplomatic sources told the Daily News. "Helgesen will arrive in the near future, but certainly not this week," sources said adding that Balasingham who is also due in Sri Lanka during the period will meet Helgesen "most probably in Kilinochchi".

Helgesen is expected to travel to the Wanni along with Ministers Milinda Moragoda and Rauf Hakeem to meet LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

The visit of London-based Balasingham will be facilitated by the Norwegians. His mode of arrival has not yet been decided.

The main purpose of Balasingham's visit is discussing the LTTE stance for the next round of talks with Prabhakaran, a spokesman of the LTTE political office in Kilinochchi said. The Daily News learns that Dr. Joy Maheswaran, a LTTE negotiator at the first round of formal talks in Thailand is in Colombo.

Australian based Maheswaran, the Coordinator of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation is here for a three day workshop on children in armed conflicts.

The Norwegian facilitators said yesterday they are mediating in the setting up of the Government - LTTE Joint Task Force on immediate humanitarian needs in the North and East agreed by both parties in the first round of talks. "We are in touch with both the Government and the LTTE over the mandate, representation, functions and funding of the Task Force."

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