Sri Lanka agrees to talks with LTTE

Colombo: Sri Lankan government on Wednesday formally agreed to enter into talks with Tamil Tiger rebels to end the renewed spurt in violence that left over 1500 dead in the island nation.

In a statement released hours after a minister slammed peace broker Norway for saying that the talks would be "unconditional," the government said it was committed to negotiations with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) but wanted the strict implementation of the 2002 ceasefire.

"While the government notes the concerns, it remains fully committed to participate at peace talks with the LTTE," said the statement.

"However, the specific modalities relating to dates and venue must be discussed and agreed between the government of Sri Lanka and the facilitator (Norway)," it said.

The government said it had reservations about the sincerity of LTTE and called for the "strict implementation" of the collapsing 2002 truce.

More than 1,500 people were killed, both in Sri Lanka's northeast and capital Colombo, in violence that escalated since last December.

Though the two sides met for talks this February in Switzerland and agreed to meet later in June, that meeting, scheduled to be held in Oslo, did not take place.

Colombo's willingness to resume talks was a climbdown from a statement made earlier in the day by Policy Planning Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, who said the government was "surprised" by remarks of Norway's top peace envoy Erik Solheim in Belgium.

Solheim announced at a meeting of Sri Lanka's key aid donors in Belgian capital Brussels that Colombo and LTTE were ready for talks "without conditions." He said the talks could be held in the first week of October in Oslo.

In his statement, Rambukwella accused Solheim of misleading the international community and the public on the peace talks.

"To the surprise of the government, Mr Solheim is reported to have announced that the talks would take place in Oslo. The government neither agreed to unconditional talks nor was consulted," said the minister, who is also Colombo's defence spokesman.

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In its statement, the government said it "hoped that the Co-Chairs and the Facilitator will do the utmost to ensure that the past practices of the LTTE are not repeated in this instance".

"In this regard, the Government would urge the international community to put in place a practical mechanism to prevent the illegal procurement of arms and an effective blockade to the induction of weapons by the LTTE," it said.

"This is an essential element to ensure a successful progression towards a political settlement," it added.

Tuesday's donors' meeting of US, Japan, European Union and Norway, collectively known as 'Co-Chairs,' welcomed the proposed talks and asked both sides to immediately de-escalate violence.

"The Co-Chairs welcome the expression of willingness of the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to come to talks unconditionally as conveyed to the Facilitator," they said.

The Co-Chair's statement followed President Mahinda Rajapakse's invitation to LTTE to renounce terrorism and enter talks.

"I reiterate my call to the LTTE to renounce terrorism and enter into negotiations to promote peace and development for the benefit of all segments of our citizens," Rajapakse said on Tuesday while opening a meeting of Commonwealth finance ministers.