Mukherji's visit:

Foreign Secretary declines to speculate

CHAMIKARA WEERASINGHE

Foreign Affairs Ministry Secretary , Dr. Palitha Kohona yesterday said, they have not been informed of a visit by India' External Minister Pranab Mukherji to Sri Lanka as speculated in the media.

On being asked if there was a possibility that Minister Mukherji could request a ceasefire with the LTTE from the Government, Dr. Kohona said that he did not want to make comments on speculation adding that one cannot expect all media reports to be true.

"But," said Dr. Kohona, "the Government's stand on having a ceasefire is very clear."

President Mahinda Rajapaksa on November 13 during his visit to New Delhi ruled out the possibility of entering into a ceasefire with the LTTE unless the LTTE lays down arms and surrender. Meanwhile, the Tamil political parties said that the government can have talks with them to find a solution to the problems of the Tamil people in the North and the East.

The leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front, Anandasangari said that there is no need to have talks with the LTTE.

"The LTTE is not the problem. The problem is somewhere else," he said.