Norway eager to further enhance bilateral cooperation

Norwegian PM tells Mangala

NORWAY: Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg assured Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera of Norway's eagerness to further enhance bilateral cooperation for economic development while facilitating the peace process, when the Minister called on him yesterday during the current official visit to Norway.

Samaraweera discussed with Prime Minister Stoltenberg a range of issues of bilateral interest including ways and means of further strengthening links between the two countries.

Samaraweera also called on the President(Speaker) of the Norwegian Parliament and addressed the Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs of the Norwegian Parliament.

While acknowledging all the endeavours of the Royal Norwegian Government in finding a lasting solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka, Samaraweera conveyed to the Standing Committee that there are no short cuts to peace and a mutually acceptable result could be found only at the negotiating table, through a meaningful dialogue.

However, due to the intransigence of the LTTE the peace process has now been stalled. Samaraweera urged the international community to apply pressure on the LTTE to persuade them to return to the negotiating table. The Minister stated that the LTTE being listed by the EU as a terrorist organisation was a step in the right direction.

He stated that democracy and pluralism should be the only way to a successful and durable peace in Sri Lanka and rejected the LTTE's claim of being the sole representative of the Tamil people.

The right to dissent is the driving force of a successful democracy and by preventing any other Tamil political party from participating in the political activities in the North and East, the LTTE is repressing the rights of the Tamil people.

The Government of Sri Lanka is steadfastly committed to the peace process and a negotiated settlement. However the LTTE has only shown its disinterest in reaching any settlement by walking out of peace talks.

The Minister cited the most recent example of the LTTE representatives refusing to meet the Sri Lankan delegation in Oslo last week as yet another instance of the LTTE's intransigence.

Minister Ferial Ashraff addressing the Standing Committee highlighted the LTTE's campaign of ethnic cleansing which had taken place in the North, consequent to which the displaced persons of Muslim origin were still in refugee camps, unable to return to their homes even after 16 years.

There were also recent threats by the LTTE of ethnic cleansing of Muslims in the eastern province where the Muslim community has a substantial presence. All these grave abuses of human rights by the LTTE were taking place while they were complaining of human rights violations of the Government agencies.Samaraweera had an audience with King Harald of Norway and extended greetings from President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

He also met with Norwegian Minister of Transport and Communications Liv Signe Navarsete and discussed matters of mutual interest in the ports and aviation sectors. Samaraweera was accompanied by Ferial Ashraff, Minister of Housing and Construction, Rishard Bathiyutheen, Minister of Resettlement, Ahmed Jawad, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Norway and senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Ports and Aviation.