Co-Chairs announcement: Government complains

Manjula Fernando

COLOMBO: The Government officially lodged a complaint against the arbitrary statement by Norwegian Minister Erik Solheim and the Co-Chairs imposing a deadline for peace talks, with the facilitator's Chief of Mission yesterday.

Diplomatic sources revealed that Government's Chief negotiator Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva submitted this complaint when he met Ambassador Hans Brattskar at the Foreign Ministry.

It was announced that both sides had agreed to unconditional talks in the first week of October. The Government said it had not been consulted before making such an announcement.

Foreign Secretary S. Palihakkara and Norwegian Embassy spokesman Eric Nurnberg were also present at the meeting.

The sources said the Government has also expressed that it was willing to resume negotiations with the LTTE, in response to the Co-Chairs appeal, if the Tiger leader agrees for unconditional talks.

An official release from the Ministry stated that Minister De Silva hoped to discuss the ‘future role of the international community in the Sri Lankan Peace Process and the future course of action on the peace front’ at this meeting.

However, the details of the meeting were not issued to media and attempts to contact the Norwegian Embassy, the Chief Negotiator and the Government Defence Spokesman by the Daily News failed.

The Minister will leave for New York today to join the delegation attending the 61st United Nations General Assembly, led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.