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| Sunday, 1 June 2003 |
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Japan optimistic: Govt. fine-tunes response to LTTE stance by Ananth Palakidnar The Japanese Government is optimistic that the current stalemate situation between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam will be sorted out before the donor conference on June 9 & 10 in Tokyo. Australia, India and the European Union have urged the Tigers to restart the peace talks without pre-conditions and said that the peace process should get back on track as soon as possible. "This is not the time for playing ball games with the national crisis and two hostile parties should start talks immediately," the EU had informed the LTTE. Indian External Affairs Ministry has stated that it was really a pre-matured approach by the LTTE. Foreign Minister of Japan Yoriko Kawaguchi met Minister for Economic Reform, Science and Technology Milinda Moragoda on Friday and discussed in detail the agenda and preparations for the conference and said all options were still opened for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to change its mind. Informed sources said that Minister Moragoda who is chairman of the committee for foreign aid to Sri Lanka had meetings with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and with the Deputy Finance Minister of Japan J. Mosobothi to discuss the conference and the current situation with regard to the talks between the LTTE and the Government . Director General of the Peace Secretariat Bernard Goonatilleke told the Sunday Observer that the Government will study the reply sent by LTTE Chief negotiator Anton Balasingham to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe rejecting the alternate proposal submitted by the Government and announce its stance early this week. Tamil United Liberation Front and Tamil National Alliance leader V. Anandasangari commenting on the current stalemate between the LTTE and the Government said the situation was unfortunate. " So far both sides have progressed steadily on the peace process and they should do their best to overcome the present crisis and take part in the peace talks without leaving room for any breakdown, " he said. |
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