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France ready to help Lanka rebels meet
Paris, Aug 04: France said today it was prepared to help Sri Lanka`s rebel Tamil Tigers organize a meeting in a bid to kickstart the peace process, but denied reports that it would host a fresh round of negotiations in Paris.
Paris, Aug 04: France said today it was prepared to help Sri Lanka's rebel Tamil Tigers organize a meeting in a bid to kickstart the peace process, but denied reports that it would host a fresh round of negotiations in Paris.
"French authorities have not received any requests for the organization of a meeting between the LTTE movement and the Sri Lankan authorities," French foreign ministry
spokesman Herve Ladsous said.
"We're just talking about facilitating the logistics for a meeting in which we would not participate," Ladsous said of possibly organizing a Tamil Tigers meeting, adding that the Sri Lankan government had not objected to the idea.
The ‘Sunday Times’ newspaper in Colombo had reported that Paris could host a new round of peace negotiations between the government and the rebels aimed at ending three decades of ethnic bloodshed in Sri Lanka.
Talks have been stalled since April 21 when the Tigers pulled out, saying that the government had failed to deliver on promises made at six rounds of negotiations held since September in Bangkok, Oslo, Berlin and Tokyo.
The rebels said that the establishment of an interim council for war-ravaged areas was a pre-condition for ending the deadlock in the peace process.
On July 17, the government formally presented a set of proposals to set up a provisional administrative structure granting political, administrative and financial authority to the LTTE, which the rebels are considering.
Bureau Report
"We're just talking about facilitating the logistics for a meeting in which we would not participate," Ladsous said of possibly organizing a Tamil Tigers meeting, adding that the Sri Lankan government had not objected to the idea.
The ‘Sunday Times’ newspaper in Colombo had reported that Paris could host a new round of peace negotiations between the government and the rebels aimed at ending three decades of ethnic bloodshed in Sri Lanka.
Talks have been stalled since April 21 when the Tigers pulled out, saying that the government had failed to deliver on promises made at six rounds of negotiations held since September in Bangkok, Oslo, Berlin and Tokyo.
The rebels said that the establishment of an interim council for war-ravaged areas was a pre-condition for ending the deadlock in the peace process.
On July 17, the government formally presented a set of proposals to set up a provisional administrative structure granting political, administrative and financial authority to the LTTE, which the rebels are considering.
Bureau Report