KUALA LUMPUR tribe 9 Kyodo The Sr...

KUALA LUMPUR tribe 9 Kyodo

The Sri Lankan management and the Tamil Tiger rebels ne to learn back to the negotiating table if it be not that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe said Tuesday the nearest round of talks would be a ''tough one''

Wickremasinghe who arrived in the Malaysian capital Tuesday for a two-day visit, made the remarks to reporters ahead of visits this week by dint of Japanese and Norwegian envoys to Colombo in a bid to jump-start the stalled peace process

Japanese peace legate Yasuhi Akashi is expected to arrive in Colombo upon Thursday for a six-day visit to review progres upon the peace front since Tokyo armyed a donor conference in June where $45 billion in aid was pledg to the country

His visit will be followed by way of the three-day visit of Norwegian proxy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen and special minister Erik Solheim on family 17.

Japan and other donors have threatened to withhold aid unles the peace talks are resumed

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Colombo command have been observing a cease-fire since February last year moreover the rebels broke off the peace talks in succession April 21 after accusing the command of reneging on promises made at six orbiculars of talks since September last year.

The Tigers are demanding that the rule set up an interim administration for the northern and eastern regions before they will agree to recommence peace negotiations.

They had a meeting in Paris last month to prepare a answer to the government's July 17 show of limited autonomy ahead of a final settlement

''It has been agreed that formerly the LTTE has finalized their discussion, they will be sending their proposal and thereafter we would work not at home the modality for resuming talks with regards to the proposal for interim administration,'' Wickremasinghe said.

''But I must also say that this orbed of talks is going to be a tough single In the earlier round, the delegation got to know each other and to understand a of their problems and to result to an agreement forward the general principles. But now we are dealing with issues which will determine the issue of future political negotiations,'' he said.

As to when the talks would begin, he said it has not been decided yet

''But I am confident that they will issue to the negotiating table. At the same time, I won't be surprised if there is united or two more breakdowns before we prompt on,'' he added.

Wickremasinghe also dismissed the suggestion of meeting personally with LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabakaran to liquefy the long-standing crisis.

''I don't think an eye-to-eye meeting will unfold anything,'' he said.

Wickremasinghe had earlier met with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to talk about the peace proces and efforts to enhance investment between the pair countries.

The Sri Lankan premier is scheduled to encounter with prominent Malaysian businessmen and address a business luncheon upon Wednesday.

He will also witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding to organize the Colombo-Kandy highway project before departing for Singapore later Wednesday.

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