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TOKYO, Wednesday (AFP) Sri Lanka's top peace negotiator said Wednesday he would ask Japan's foreign minister to boost economic aid, saying a ceasefire with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has created a safe investment environment.

"Of course we will be making a request for enhanced ODA (official development assistance)," G.L. Peiris, Minister of Constitutional Affairs and Enterprise Development, told reporters in Tokyo.

"We think it is justifiable with regard to the state we have now reached in the peace process," he said.

Since an historic ceasefire was signed February 22, ending decades of bloodshed, the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE have worked together on development projects as talks continue, Peiris said.

"It is possible to embark on development activities without the risk of interruption because the government and the LTTE are working together."

The two sides have worked to remove landmines, resettle displaced citizens, build schools and places of worship and identify other development projects, he said. He said private-sector investment opportunities abounded as well.

"Ports, harbours, telecommunications, bridges, all these things. There is a tremendous opportunity for Japanese businesses as the country is being reconstructed," he said.

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