Colombo, Nov 11: Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is set to visit Norway to drum up foreign support for his fledgling peace bid, remained cautious today on a timetable for a final deal with Tamil Tiger rebels.

Wickremesinghe, 53, in an interview today, declined to say whether a formal peace agreement with the rebel LTTE could be signed as early as next year. "The LTTE is also looking for the terms and conditions of a settlement," he said. "We will have to talk and see."
Wickremesinghe would not set a deadline for reaching a political agreement with the Tamil Tigers, who have led a drawn-out campaign for an independent homeland for the island's minority Tamils. Two rounds of formal peace talks since September between the government and the rebels saw unexpected progress, with the Tigers dropping their demand for independence and instead agreeing to regional autonomy and self-government.
Wickremesinghe, however, added that the November 25 meeting of foreign donors in Norway would be an important step in the peace process aimed at ending three decades of ethnic bloodshed that has claimed over 60,000 lives.
The LTTE's top negotiator, Anton Balasingham, announced at the conclusion of the second round of peace talks in Thailand eight days ago that he would meet and hold talks with Wickremesinghe on the sidelines of the Oslo aid meeting.
Sri Lanka's peace broker Norway has called the meeting for the international community to pledge financial assistance to rebuild the island's war-ravaged areas and help underpin the fragile peace process.
Bureau Report