India asks Lanka Govt to solve ethnic issue through dialogue

Voicing concern over the recent upsurge in violence in Sri Lanka, India asks Lankan government to resolve the ethnic problem through dialogue.

Voicing concern over the recent upsurge in violence in Sri Lanka, India on Wednesday opposed any support being given to LTTE and asked the government of the island nation to resolve the ethnic problem through dialogue.

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"We are opposed to violence, no support should be given to LTTE and we are opposed to helping any terrorist outfit anywhere," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said at a question-answer session following his public lecture on India's foreign policy priorities in Singapore.

He said Sri Lanka should maintain its territorial integrity and try and resolve the ethnic Tamil issue through dialogue.

"The recent developments in Sri Lanka, the violence, have been a cause of concern to all," he said adding, the attacks by an outlawed terrorist outfit are a matter of grave concern to all those who want to fight terrorism.

When asked why Sri Lankans needed a visa to visit India while Indians could enter Sri Lanka without one, Mukherjee said the Indian government was trying to liberalise visa rules but had to be careful at the same time.

"We are trying to give it as quickly as possible," he said adding, in some categories the visa was processed very fast.