New Delhi, Jan 24: Sri Lankan Economic Reforms Minister Milinda Moragoda today met External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and briefed him on the developments in the island nation. The visit takes place within weeks of Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga's meeting with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the Saarc Summit in Islamabad. Kumaratunga and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, both from rival parties, are enmeshed in a power struggle that has put on hold the peace process with the LTTE. The political crisis has forced foreign aid donors to send out a warning that Sri Lanka risked losing 4.5 billion dollars in financial assistance to rebuild the island unless the two leaders end their confrontation. The trip by Moragoda, a close confidante of Wickremeinghe, is more in the nature of apprising the Indian government of the prime minister's version of the political situation in Sri Lanka, sources said.

New Delhi is keen that the political tension is defused so that there is movement ahead on a number of areas bilaterally as well as at the regional level.

India is supporting the Norwegian-brokered peace process between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE. The Norwegian interlocutors suspended their efforts as the political crisis deepened in the island nation.

Bureau Report