The Swiss Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned "in the strongest terms" what it called the "odious" assassination of Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

The Swiss ministry expressed its "deep consternation" in a statement and hoped that those responsible for the murder would be quickly identified and brought to justice.

Despite a state of emergency being declared in Sri Lanka following the assassination, the ministry hoped the peace process would not be derailed by the "absolutely unjustifiable" crime.

It also called on all parties to do everything possible to avert a potential escalation of tension and to protect the cease-fire between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The ministry added that Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey had expressed her sadness and concern after the death of her counterpart.

Kadirgamar, 73, a harsh critic of the Tamil separatists, was fatally shot on Friday evening by a suspected sniper at his home in central Colombo.

Sri Lankan police blamed the Tamil rebels for the killing, though the Tiger separatists have denied any involvement in the assassination.

Source: Xinhua