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From Chatura Vidyaratne in New York

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will brief President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga on the outcome of his visit to UN to address the 58th General Assembly sessions, as soon as he returns home after the conclusion of his official visit to the US.

The Prime Minister is expected to call on President Kumaratunga at President's House soon after he returns on Monday.

This will also be the first time the premier meets the President after the collapse of the SLFP-JVP proposed alliance talks and as such analysts attach much significance to this meeting.

The Premier was earlier due to meet the President prior to his departure to US, but the meeting was cancelled at the last minute since the President was indisposed.

The Prime Minister will also brief the president on measures taken to revive the peace talks between the government and the LTTE and his impending two-day official tour of India on October 19 and 20 at the forthcoming meeting.

Meanwhile European leaders who met Prime Minister Wickremesinghe in New York on September 25 for bilateral talks had described the ceasefire in Sri Lanka as the foundation of the peace process and exhorted him to assiduously pursue the peace process while safeguarding it.

They have said it was mandatory on the part of the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE to stringently adhere to the stipulations and decisions recommended by the SLMM if they were to maintain the peace process on track.

The European leaders who pledged to expeditiously implement the commitments made by their countries at the Sri Lanka aid meeting in Tokyo recently had also briefed Premier Wickremesinghe on measures taken by them to enhance human rights in their countries.

This was the first time Sri Lanka had made direct contact with the European Union at leadership level and a joint statement about the talks is due to be issued within the next few days.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Wickremesinghe who also had bilateral talks with the Foreign Minister of New Zealand in New York on September 25 discussed possibilities of Sri lanka and New Zealand entering into a free trade agreement for the mutual benefit of both countries.

The Prime Minister also briefed the New Zealand Foreign Minister about Free Trade Agreements Sri Lanka had already signed with several other countries, the peace process and the achievements made and the problems and setbacks encountered in its march forward.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe also held another 10 rounds of bilateral talks with the Presidents of Mozambique and Cyprus and Foreign Ministers of Canada, New Zealand, Estonia, Iceland, Uganda, Tunisia, Spain and Greece on this day.

He also held discussions with UNDP Administrator Mark M. Brown and Executive Director Carol Bellamy on this day.

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