Bauer due here

Rashomi Silva

COLOMBO: Norwegian special envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer is due here on Friday to attempt to salvage the truce monitoring Mission and to save the Ceasefire Agreement between the Government and the LTTE, the Norwegian embassy said.

Embassy spokesman Tom Knappskog said the main purpose of Bauer's visit is to discuss the future of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).

"He will discuss what option and alternatives are available," he said.

Asked if the envoy would meet political leaders during his stay he said the programme was not yet finalised.

"But it is expected that he would meet senior political leaders and peace secretariat officials during the stay, he said adding that Bauer is also expected to meet LTTE political leadership in Killinochchi.

Questioned if the envoy would make fresh moves to bring the Government and the LTTE to the negotiating table he said, it was upto the Government and the LTTE to take fresh efforts.

With the LTTE's demand to oust EU country monitors from the SLMM, following the EU ban on them, the three EU nations, Sweeden, Denmark and Finland recalled their monitors, fearing security threat on their citizens.

First to pull out from the mission was Finland and Denmark with Sweden shortly following suit .

The Government of Sweden yesterday while expressing its concern over the building tension said it would recall its members from mission.

The fifty seven member strong Monitoring Mission will loose three-fifths of it's monitors and the remaining monitors from Norway and the Iceland, the two non- EU Nordic countries.

The Danish, Finnish and Swedish observers are to leave Sri Lanka before September 1.

The planned departure of the EU observers came at a crucial time when the Swedish-led Monitoring Mission have made a request of 25 percent increase in their numbers to oversee the 2002 ceasefire.