Norway's attempts to broker peace in Sri Lanka gained momentum on Wednesday after a surprise face-to-face meeting between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels and intense diplomatic manoeuvring. An envoy from Oslo was due to meet with the London-based Tiger's chief negotiator Wednesday, a day after unannounced talks between the two warring sides in Sri Lanka, officials said.
They said Erik Solheim, a member of the Norwegian peace brokering team, was scheduled to hold talks in London with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)'s Anton Balasingham.

While Solheim holds discussions with Balasingham in London, Norway's deputy foreign minister Vidar Helgesen was expected in Sri Lanka over the weekend for talks with the Colombo government.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is due to travel to London and Brussels this week on a previously arranged visit aimed at boosting foreign economic support for the embattled island's peace drive. Bureau Report