Lankan Govt-LTTE talks on Feb 22 and 23

The long-awaited talks on implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement will be held in Geneva, reports PK Balachandran.

The long-awaited talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE on the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) would be held in Geneva on February 22 and 23, the Norwegian facilitators announced in Colombo on Monday.

HT Image

A Norwegian Embassy release said that International Development Minister Erik Solheim, along with Vidar Helgesen and Ambassador Hans Brattskar would facilitate the talks.

The head of the Sri Lanka Ceasefire Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Hagrup Haukland, would also be present.

Solheim said that the two parties were taking a "small but very significant step towards putting the peace process back on a positive track."

"We expect the negotiations to be tough," he added.

The Sri Lankan government's delegation will be headed by the Minister of Health, Nimal Sripala de Silva, and the LTTE's delegation will be headed by the outfit's political advisor Anton Balasingham.