Colombo, Sept 18: Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister travelled to Tamil rebel-held town of Kilinochchi today in a fresh bid to revive the island's faltering peace bid, diplomatic sources said. Vidar Helgesen was accompanied on a day's visit by special envoy Erik Solheim, the sources said adding they were expected to discuss ways to restart the peace negotiations deadlocked since April.
The two Norwegians opened talks with LTTE's political wing leader S. P. Thamilselvan who is emerging as a key negotiator of the Tamil Tigers, diplomats said.
Meanwhile, Norwegian-led ceasefire monitors had talks with Thamilselvan yesterday to resolve outstanding issues.
Sri Lanka monitoring mission chief Tryggve Tellefsen discussed the LTTE's refusal to dismantle a controversial camp they had set up in violation of the ceasefire, diplomats said.
There was no breakthrough following yesterday's talks, but both sides agreed to set up more meetings. Bureau Report