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South Africa willing to host peace talks 

South Africa, with its firm convictions relating to the political resolution on ethnic conflict, has been following closely the evolving peace process in Sri Lanka, and wishes to express its admiration of the bold and far-sighted policy of the Government of Sri Lanka. In this regard, Dr. Dlamini Nkosana-Zuma South Africa's Minister of Foreign Affairs, told Professor G. L. Peiris, Minister of Constitutional Affairs and Sri Lanka's chief negotiator with the LTTE, at their meeting in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pretoria last week.

The government of South Africa is eager to do everything in its power to support and strengthen the Sri Lankan peace process and, with this objective in view, has moved rapidly towards the preparation of the Partnership Agreement which the two countries will be signing shortly, the Foreign Minister of South Africa said.

This agreement provides the framework for intensive co-operation in a variety of fields relevant to trade, investment and the transfer of technology.

The South African Foreign Minister showed lively interest in all aspects of the Sri Lankan peace process and thanked Minister Prof. Peiris for the comprehensive briefing. South Africa will be pleased to identify and co-ordinate resources gathered from government institutions, the business community, non-governmental organisations, trade unions, universities and professional groups in support of the peace process in Sri Lanka, D. Zuma informed Prof. Peiris.

At another meeting in Johannesburg Fazel Randera, the chief executive officer of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa, briefed Minister Peiris fully about the work of the Commission presided over by Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and the contribution made by the Commission to the healing of deep wounds in the South African body politic.

Prof. Peiris addressed the Chamber of Commerce of South Africa in Johannesburg on investment opportunities available in Sri Lanka in the wake of peace restored to the country by the ceasefire agreement.

Minister Peiris delivered a well attended lecture on the Sri Lankan peace process at the University of the Witwaterstand under the auspices of the South African Institute for International Affairs.

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