Sri Lanka will initiate moves to restore good relations with Norway, a one time peace broker between successive governments and the now-militarily defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
For this purpose, a top level delegation headed by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva will visit Oslo. He has been picked to lead the team since Mr. de Silva is the leader of the government team now negotiating with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on addressing grievances of the Tamil community.
The new move comes in the wake of diplomatic overtures from Oslo. Besides recent remarks by Norway’s International Development Minister and former peace broker Erik Solheim that matters arising from the UN Panel’s report on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka were a subject for the Colombo government to act, the Norwegian delegation to the ongoing sessions of the UN Human Rights Coucnil also made a statement which has been welcomed by members of the Sri Lanka delegation.
Minister de Silva is expected to brief Norwegian leaders on the measures being taken by the government to address grievances of the Tamil community. He will also brief them on the rehabilitation, reconstruction and development projects now under way. |
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