| Front
Page |
||||
|
India keeps
out of Oslo show, but pledges support for peace These sources refuted claims by government spokesman and Chief peace negotiator G. L. Peiris that India's High Commissioner in Norway, Gopal Krishna Gandhi, would take part. "There will be no representation at all at government or High Commissioner level," the sources said. Minister Milinda Moragoda was in India on Wednesday and Thursday trying to secure New Delhi's full participation at tomorrow's meeting in Oslo where the government and the LTTE are to make a joint appeal for aid for rehabilitation and reconstruction work in the north and east. Mr. Moragoda met Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha and National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra but could not persuade India to change its stand on the Oslo meet, diplomatic sources said. He returned to the island last morning and will be leaving for Oslo today. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe left last morning with a nine-member delegation for the meeting. Minister Rauff Hakeem who was also in India was due to join him in London last night on their way to Oslo. Though India will not be taking part in the Oslo meeting, they issued a statement in support of the peace process at the end of the visit of Mr. Moragoda. Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said: "India once again expresses support for the peace process and reiterates its commitment to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and restoration of a lasting peace through a peaceful negotiated settlement that meets the just aspirations of all sections of the Sri Lankan society. "India was one of the first countries to commit itself to economic assistance to Sri Lanka. Such assistance has been in the form of general line of credit and specific commodities. India is formulating projects for meeting the immediate development and economic needs of the people of Sri Lanka." Political analysts believe that one of the reasons for India's absence in Oslo is New Delhi's refusal to share the platform with the LTTE, a banned organisation in India. The LTTE was banned in 1992 after its involvement in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination. However the United States, Britain and Australia, which have also included the LTTE in their list of banned terrorist groups, are taking part in the meeting . They said they were taking part at the meeting in support of the government's peace initiative and the existing ban on the LTTE in their countries would not clash with their position. US Embassy First Secretary Bruce A. Lohof told The Sunday Times that taking part in the Oslo meeting would have no bearing on the stand taken by the US regarding the designation of LTTE as a terrorist organization. "The US position has been that the stand regarding the LTTE will not change until it gives up the demand for a separate state and renounces violence," he said. The US will be represented by Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage while US Ambassador Ashley Wills and the USAID Director in Colombo, Carol Becker, will also attend the meeting. Britain will be represented by Overseas Development Secretary Clare Short. Australia's Deputy High Commissioner Kate Logan told The Sunday Times that their decision to send a delegation for the Oslo meeting was to express support for the government's peace initiative and it would not clash with the ban on the LTTE. Australian High Commissioner David Binns and AUSAID Asst. Director General Murray Proctor will represent Australia at the Oslo meeting. Among the other countries taking part in the meeting include Japan, Germany, Sweden and Denmark Japan is being represented by its special government representative, Yasushi Akashi, Japanese Ambassador Seiichiir Otsuka and Taki Yamada, Director South West Asian Affairs Division of the Japanese Foreign Ministry. |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
