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by Colvin L. De Silva - Our London Correspondent

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Tyronne Fernando is billed to speak at two highly prestigious fora during his brief tour of London on the Peace Process in Sri Lanka between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which process became possible after both sides placed their signatures to a Memorandum of Understanding to a cessation of hostilities. The first lecture would be at the London School of Economics - the famous institution where late Dr. N.M. Perera - the Leader of the Lanka Samasamaja Party and Finance Minister of the United Front Government of late Sirimavo R.D. Bandaranaike obtained his PhD on Economics. It is the Political Science Department that is hosting the lecture and is fixed for February 5.

On February 7 the Minister will speak at the Royal Commonwealth Society's Lecture Theatre at Nothumberland Avenue in West Central London on "Peace process - A study of Conflict Resolution in Sri Lanka". Both these lectures by the Foreign Minister would go a long way to help both Sri Lankans and the British public to understand the nitty gritty areas of conflict resolution and the extent to which Sri Lanka has benefited by the total absence of war and the step by step process leading to permanent peace in Sri Lanka.

The Minister will undoubtedly highlight in his lecture the difficult and the useful role played by Norway in remaining in the negotiation process as the facilitator. The meeting will be chaired by the President of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Baroness Usha Prashar. Following his lecture the Minister will formally present a copy of his book "Alien Winds across Paradise", to Michael J. Beloff, Q.C., President of the Trinity College, University of Oxford.

This meeting will be followed by a reception for the Minister and guests. Sri Lanka's High Commissioner in London Faiz Mustapha, Deputy High Commissioner Kshenuka Fernando and several diplomats from Sri Lanka and other Asian countries are expected to participate. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other Agencies involved in Sri Lankan affairs will certainly not give this lecture a miss.

Minister Tyronne Feranando is no stranger to London having been an illustrious student at the Oxford University where he pursued a course in Law. He obtained an M.A. at the Keble College and elected as President of Afro-Asian Union. He practised Law in England as a Barrister-at-Law at the Gray's Inn.

Fernando obtained a Diploma in Journalism at the London School of Journalism. Previously under the Government of J.R. Jayewardene, he was the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and he has vast experience in both diplomacy and administration, at Colombo's Foreign Office in keeping with the policies of the Sri Lanka Government.

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