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India welcomes conciliatory approach of LTTE, Sri Lanka
New Delhi, Sept 20: India today welcomed the conciliatory approach by the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government at their first round of peace talks in Thailand and expressed its readiness to assist in the development and reconstruction of the war-ravaged nation.
New Delhi, Sept 20: India today welcomed the conciliatory approach by the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government at their first round of peace talks in Thailand and expressed its readiness to assist in the development and
reconstruction of the war-ravaged nation.
''The adoption of a conciliatory approach to negotiations, which resulted in agreement for further meetings and the decision to deal jointly with important issues including internally displaced persons, humanitarian and reconstruction activities, demining etc, is welcome,'' foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal told reporters. Sibal, who was briefed by Norwegian chief interlocutor Eric Solheim today on the just-concluded parleys in Thailand's Sattahip naval base, said the Indian government has noted with satisfaction the successful conclusion of the first round.
''The Government of India has, in the past and continues to support efforts to take the peace process towards a settlement that meets the just aspirations of all elements of Sri Lankan society within a sovereign, united Sri Lanka,'' he said.
Asked about LTTE's change in stance by dropping its demand for a separate Tamil Eelam state and instead pressing for greater autonomy, Sibal said one could have two interpretations about this.
One was that there was ''nothing new'' in these statements and that the LTTE has taken this position for some time now.
The other view was that the importance in what LTTE chief negotiator Anton Balasingham said lies in the timing. This was in the context of a major peace initiative in the beginning of this dialogue, he said.
Bureau Report
''The adoption of a conciliatory approach to negotiations, which resulted in agreement for further meetings and the decision to deal jointly with important issues including internally displaced persons, humanitarian and reconstruction activities, demining etc, is welcome,'' foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal told reporters. Sibal, who was briefed by Norwegian chief interlocutor Eric Solheim today on the just-concluded parleys in Thailand's Sattahip naval base, said the Indian government has noted with satisfaction the successful conclusion of the first round.
''The Government of India has, in the past and continues to support efforts to take the peace process towards a settlement that meets the just aspirations of all elements of Sri Lankan society within a sovereign, united Sri Lanka,'' he said.
Asked about LTTE's change in stance by dropping its demand for a separate Tamil Eelam state and instead pressing for greater autonomy, Sibal said one could have two interpretations about this.
One was that there was ''nothing new'' in these statements and that the LTTE has taken this position for some time now.
The other view was that the importance in what LTTE chief negotiator Anton Balasingham said lies in the timing. This was in the context of a major peace initiative in the beginning of this dialogue, he said.
Bureau Report