CFA talks may begin in early January - Hindustan Times

by P K Balachandran

Talks between the Government and the LTTE on the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) are likely to begin in early January, informed sources in Colombo told Hindustan Times.

The sources said the possibility of early talks had brightened because of mounting international pressure on both Colombo and the LTTE to maintain the ceasefire somehow, and begin talks at the earliest.

Both have been asked not to make the venue an issue. The Sri Lankan Government wants the talks to take place in Asia while the LTTE is insisting on Oslo.

But Norway, the official facilitator, has said that it has no view on the issue, and that it is ready to participate in the talks no matter where it is held. However, according to sources, the talks may be held in Oslo, as previously proposed by Norway.

President Mahinda Rajapakse's visit to New Delhi may have played an important role in shaping the Sri Lankan government's latest thinking on this issue.

At the end of the talks between Manmohan Singh and Rajapakse on Wednesday, it was agreed that starting talks and maintaining the ceasefire were the need of the hour.

The international community, represented by the co-chairs of the 2003 Tokyo donors conference, have also been calling for an end to the violence, the maintenance of the ceasefire and urgent talks.