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| Sunday, 18 May 2003 |
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Tokyo donor parley : Positive signals from Tigers by S. Selvakumar LTTE's decision to meet with Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen in Kilinochchi yesterday was interpreted as a positive sign by political and diplomatic circles that the Tigers would attend the Tokyo Donor parley scheduled for next month. Helgessen was expected to return to Colombo last night with the LTTE response. Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Peterson who met LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran on Thursday later met with the Prime Minister and is reported to have prevailed upon the government the concerns expressed by the Tiger leader. It is understood that the government was willing to address certain main concerns of the LTTE in a bid to involve them in the Tokyo parley and Helgessen went to Vanni with the Prime Minister's message. Meanwhile, Prime Minister and Mrs. Maithree Wickremesinghe left for Cochchin, Kerala in India on Friday on a two day private visit. Helgessen on his return will meet with the Prime Minister and convey the outcome of the government's response to the LTTE. Diplomatic circles said yesterday that if it is necessary, Helgessen might even delay his return to Norway to further negotiate with the Tigers. On Friday the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister met with Prof. G. L. Peiris and Minister Milinda Moragoda. Before his departure to Vanni, he conveyed his willingness to meet with the LTTE leadership for a further round of talks on the importance of its participation in the Tokyo parley and according to well informed sources the Tiger hierarchy readily agreed for this latest round of talks. "This willingness by the LTTE is a positive indication that it would take part in the donor parley. In the face of their assurance that they will not resort to war and their willingness for another round of talks is a welcome sign" a well informed diplomatic source revealed. However, it was not sure whether Helgessen would be able to meet Prabhakaran though he was scheduled to meet with political wing leader S. P. Thamilchelvan. According to reports from Vavuniya, the LTTE high command had an emergency meeting in Kilinochchi yesterday to examine the government's response to Prabhakaran's prerequisite that the government set up a formal mechanism to administer funds for the reconstruction of the war ravaged North and East. Political sources said yesterday that the government has addressed Prabhakaran's this particular concern before Helgessen's departure to Vanni yesterday. Without the establishment of such a legal mechanism the LTTE will not be able to handle the funds for the reconstruction of the North and East, Prabhakaran reiterated to Jan Petersen when the latter met him on Thursday. |
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