Colombo, Nov 30: Sri Lanka's peace negotiators have left Colombo for Norway to take part in a third round of talks with the Tamil Tiger rebels.
Minister of Ports and Islamic Affairs Rauf Hakeem left the island this afternoon to join the rest of the negotiating team in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.
Gamini Peiris, the government's chief peace negotiator, and economic reforms minister Milinda Moragoda left yesterday night for the talks beginning Monday.


Two rounds of negotiations held in September and October to end the 19-year ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka ended successfully, with the rebels saying they are willing to accept regional autonomy for the Tamil-dominated northeast instead of total independence. More than 64,500 people were killed in the conflict before a Norway-brokered cease-fire in February stopped the bloodshed.


Bureau Report