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| Sunday, 10 August 2003 |
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Indian help for peace process by Ananth Palakidnar Efforts to resume peace talks are expected to gather momentum with India's expected stepped-up role. Indian External Affairs Minister Yaswant Sinha is due in Colombo next week in what is seen by local political circle as the first move by Delhi. Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes has also accepted an invitation to visit Colombo. The Indian Foreign Minister's official visit next week, follows peace negotiator and Minister Milinda Moragoda's visit to India last week during which he held an intensive rounds of meetings with senior Indian leaders and officials. The Indian government, though supportive of Sri Lanka's peace initiatives, has been non-committal, but analysts believe that may change, with the arrivals of Yaswant Sinha, next week, and Fernandes on a later date. As a forerunner to these changes, Fernandes, on Friday reiterated his government's concern about safeguarding regional integrity and the need to get the peace process back on track in order to maintain political stability in the region. The Indian Minister at a meeting with Moragoda, in New Delhi on Friday, said that getting the peace talks back on track was vital for the political stability of both countries. Earlier Moragoda briefed the Minister the talks between the LTTE and the Government and the current stalemate situation. Responding to Moragoda, Fernandes reiterated India's support for the peace process and urged that the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE must do their best for the resumption of talks in order to establish peace in Sri lanka as well as in the region. The Indian Defence Minister also accepted an invitation extended by Minister Moragoda to visit Sri Lanka. Minister Yaswant Sinha will arrive in Colombo on August 18, and his itinerary will include meetings with President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Mr. Sinha will also hold discussions on the current peace process and will meet the Indian and the Sri Lankan business communities on the economic cooperation between the two countries. |
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