Colombo, June 06: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has sought to play down the stalemate in the resumption of talks with LTTE, saying that he has no doubt the Tamil Tigers are committed to the peace process and direct talks with the government will resume after some time. "I don't see such a large gap between us,” Wickremesinghe told in a programme on a private TV channel as he left for Tokyo yesterday for a crucial donors' meet for Sri Lanka on 9th and 10th June.

The rebels suspended peace talks in April accusing the government of slow implementation of decisions taken at earlier rounds of parleys. Now they're insisting on an interim administration for the embattled north-east but lack of agreement with the government on what powers this structure should have has led them to stay away from the Tokyo meet.

Wickermesinghe said, "As far as an adequate interim administrative structure in principle I don't think there's a difference," according to a private TV channel release.

"They are asking for a significant role and that is something we have agreed. What we are looking at is something that goes beyond development."

Bureau Report