Colombo, May 03: A senior Norwegian envoy began talks with the Tamil Tiger rebels on Sri Lanka's stalled peace process today, one day after mediators met with the president and said talks between the insurgents and government won't likely resume soon. Peace mediator Eric Solheim, whose trip to the rebel-held town of Kilinochchi had been delayed by bad weather, met with S P Thalimselvan, the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam, Tiger spokesman Daya Master said.

Solheim and Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister, Vidar Helgesen, held talks yesterday about the peace process with President Chandrika Kumaratunga. "It might take some time before the parties are in a position to return to the negotiation table," Helgesen said in a statement after yesterday's meeting.

Helgesen didn't give reasons why talks might not resume soon but he urged both sides to abide by a cease-fire agreement they signed two years ago. He described the closed-door discussions with the president as ``extensive and constructive."

There has been no reaction from the Tamil Tigers, who broke off peace negotiations in April last year, accusing the government of not allowing them enough autonomy and failing to help thousands of ethnic Tamils displaced by the country's civil war. Bureau Report