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| Friday, 24 October 2003 |
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Peace talks in January by Manjula Fernando and Nadira Gunatilleke Stalled peace talks between the Government and the LTTE will resume in January next year, Government Chief Negotiator Prof. G.L. Peiris said yesterday. This will be preceded by a preliminary meeting between the two parties before November end where the structure and the format for the substantive discussions in January will be taken up, Prof. Peiris told the weekly Cabinet media briefing at the Parliament Complex. "The LTTE has stated it would not resist the Government's request for a preliminary meeting prior to the substantive discussions early next year," the Minister said. The LTTE temporarily withdrew from the negotiating table in mid April this year demanding for an interim administrative council for the North and East claiming that the Sub Committee on Immediate Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Humanitarian Needs have not properly addressed the ground realities. The Minister said the proposed preliminary meeting will be held before November end. "This meeting is to discuss the format of the talks. There we hope to take up issues such as the talks' venue, structure, duration and the question of Muslim representation," he said. At the next round of peace talks, a settlement on the modalities of the proposed interim administrative structure for the North and East will be negotiated to narrow down the differences in the two sets of proposals. Meanwhile, the LTTE has announced that their alternative proposals on the proposed Interim Council will be handed over to the Norwegians on October 31. Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar will travel to Kilinochchi to receive the LTTE response containing the proposals and it will be handed over to the Government the same day. The LTTE is expected to hold a media conference on November 1 to announce their counter proposals. Prof. Peiris said the Government hopes to make a formal request to the Norwegian Government to make arrangements to hold face to face discussions once the LTTE proposals are handed over to them. |
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