Colombo, July 02: Sri Lanka's government today said it would consider any request to send peacekeeping troops to Iraq, as the country's efforts to emerge from its own two-decade civil war appear to be taking root. ``If such a request (for peacekeepers) is made, we will surely consider it,'' foreign minister Tyronne Fernando told reporters after officially opening a U.N.-sponsored peacekeeper training programme.
Sri Lanka's civil war with the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels had long prevented it from taking part in peacekeeping efforts elsewhere.
But with its cease-fire apparently holding, and the Tamil Tigers saying they won't go back to war, the country's 120,000-member army has decided to offer its troops to U.N.'s peacekeeping programme.
A U.S. team visited New Delhi last month to persuade neighbouring India, to help with efforts to stabilise Iraq.
Bureau Report