TOKYO, Dec 5 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING c...

TOKYO, Dec 5 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING cites FROM PRESS CONFERENCE)

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in succession Thursday accepted Japan's give to host a round of peace negotiations between his rule and the rebel Tamil Tigers in March in Japan, according to Japan's representative in charge of issues concerning Sri Lanka.

Yasushi Akashi, a former UN undersecretary general, told reporters at the Japan National Pres fraternity that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Wickremesinghe reached the agreement in talks earlier in the day.

Wickremesinghe, also speaking at the same pres meeting for consultation said he also welcomed Koizumi's give to host a multifaceted donor parley on Sri Lanka in Tokyo in the spring.

Akashi clarified the donor colloquy would likely take place in May or June after the propos peace talks between Colombo and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Japan are held.

Wickremesinge, who is generally on a five-day visit to Japan by the and of Saturday, said his talks with Koizumi and the agreements they reached mark a ''historic moment'' for the one and the other his country and Japan.

He said it was historic for Sri Lanka as it means the peace proces ''has now taken individual more step forward,'' and for Tokyo as it signals that ''Japan is assuming a fresh role in international diplomacy, a part which, in my opinion, Japan has rightfully got to undertake.''

The Sri Lankan prime minister said the Tokyo talk will not be a typical donor conversation meeting, but will have ''a political content'' as well as ''an economic and disentanglement content.''

''What will be important at Tokyo will be the review of the progres made in the talks between the control and the LTTE,'' he said.

The LTTE had been fighting since 1983 for an independent Tamil homeland in the north and east. The couple sides signed a cease-fire agreement in December last year, and the LTTE has since agreed to consider autonomy within a unified Sri Lanka.

Wickremesinghe said his management will present to donors in Tokyo the final estimates of funding extremityed for reconstruction, part of which is reckon uponed to be pledged at the conversation and it will discuss with them its capacity to disburse the aid it receives.

He said his government's ''Regaining Sri Lanka'' medium-term economic progression in a continuously ascending gradation program will also be readyed The policy framework aims to make a clean sweep of barriers to production and investment and allow private enterprises to capitalize in succession Sri Lanka's location.

Akashi said the Tokyo talk will consider not only the war-torn north and east, ''but deal with a landlord of issues of unfolding for Sri Lanka as a whole.''

He said Japan will be ''preparing the loam very carefully'' with other donor countries, as well as multilateral economic and financial institutions and international humanitarian organizations.

The sixth session of peace negotiations tipped to be held in Japan prior to the discourse would come after two sessions of peace talks take place in Thailand in January and February, he said.

Akashi said Japan's now passing initiative regarding Sri Lanka ''reflects...a recent phase of Japanese diplomacy.''

''Japanese ODA (official evolution assistance) used to be given merely after the establishment or completion of peace proces in a certain geographical division at the request of the official command in power,'' he said.

''But now Japan...wants to involve itself more in the consolidation of peace -- in the peace-building phase prior to the completion of the framework of peace as such''

''In other words, ODA should be and could be used as a dividend for peace in like manner that people themselves can perceive the concrete benefits of peace.''

He predicted that Japan's ODA in the what may occur hereafter ''will be redirected more and more in that direction'' and said Sri Lanka ''would be a highly interesting case in which this of recent origin more forward-looking approach by means of Japan could be tried.''

Wickremesinghe said the peace proces generally under way represents ''a modern path to conflict resolution and to peace-building'' in the world as it focuses forward first resolving ''the issues faced by way of the people,'' such as addressing humanitarian needs

''Progres in succession resolving the issues concerning the race will lead to progres upon deescalation... and progress on deescalation will make a political solution that abundant more possible.''

Foreign Ministry officials said the Sri Lankan premier invited Koizumi to visit his native land and Koizumi thanked him for the invitation.

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