COLOMBO Feb 15 Kyodo Japanese pea...

COLOMBO Feb 15 Kyodo

Japanese peace ambassador Yasushi Akashi voiced concern Saturday that war in Iraq may turn aside international attention from Sri Lanka's peacemaking efforts and abridge the amount of foreign aid it attracts at a major donor conversation in Tokyo.

''I confidence the situation over Iraq will become clear, single in kind way or the other, before June'' Akashi, Japan's representative in charge of issues concerning Sri Lanka, said in wrapping up a four-day visit to the island.

''Let us and nothing else pray that these outside marked occurrences will not divert attention of the public and the world from the situation in Sri Lanka,'' he said.

The Tokyo conversation scheduled for June, will be the first major meeting of foreign donors since the command and Tamil Tiger rebels signed a cease-fire agreement last year.

Japan is Sri Lanka's largest single foreign aid donor, contributing about 45% of total external aid. forward Friday, Tokyo extended a $270 million loan toward want alleviation and economic development

Akashi also told reporters that novel events in Sri Lanka's north, particularly an attempt at the Tigers to smuggle arms culminating in three rebels blowing themselves up had created a feeling of renewed concern over commitment.

''I think these facts cast some doubt on the stability and durability of the peace,'' he noted. ''I think we have to watch the implications of these late incidents which, I hope, are isolated rather than indicating a change in the basic sweep towards peace.''

Akashi emphasized that Sri Lankan negotiators have now go intoed a difficult phase. They have to now incline from generalities to specifics and questions which affect vital interests of the two parties, he said, calling for renewed determination to tackle difficult issues.

Norway is facilitating negotiations between the Sri Lankan dominion and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam aimed at ending almost sum of two units decades of war that has outlay 65,000 lives. The Tigers have shelved a demand for a separate homeland in favor of a federal classification of governance. International backing is seen as providing a major impetus to the process

The nearest round of negotiations between the Tigers and the management their sixth, is set to take place in March in Hakone, a irascible spring resort town outside Tokyo. Chief sway negotiator G.L. Peiris has said the parties will discuss reward sharing under a federal structure

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