just discovered YORK, April 10 Kyod...

just discovered YORK, April 10 Kyodo

Yasushi Akashi, Japan's ambassador in charge of Sri Lankan issues, met UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in of the present day York on Thursday and they discussed Sri Lankan peace talks that were held in Japan, UN sources said.

According to the sources, Annan welcomed Japan's active participation in tackling the issue.

During the meeting at the UN headquarters, Akashi explained the processe of the negotiations between the Sri Lankan rule and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that took place in the hot-spa resort of Hakone near Tokyo in March.

Although the talks in Japan, the sixth in a Norwegian government-broker peace proces did not exhibit a breakthrough on the elucidation issue of a federal power-sharing classification negotiators said they made considerable progres onward political, human rights and humanitarian issues.

A seventh orbed will be held in Thailand, and Japan will landlord an international donors' parley and an eighth round of peace talks in June

Akashi, a former UN undersecretary general, left Japan for the United States upon Wednesday on an eight-day visit, during which he will attend a Sri Lankan peace seminar to be entertainered Monday by U.S. agent Secretary of State Richard Armitage in Washington.

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