Sri Lanka hopes EU pressure would kick start peace with Tigers

Sri Lankan government said Friday that a European Union declaration on the Tamil Tigers would help in the efforts to revive the stalled peace negotiations.

Nimal Siripala De Silva, the government spokesman and the Minister of Health, told reporters here "We do hope that the EU declaration would help us to re-start peace talks."

The 25-member European Union states on Tuesday said that it was actively considering the formal listing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels as a terrorist organization and that with immediate effect no LTTE delegations would be received by the EU member states.

De Silva said such pressure on the Tigers was always welcome.

The direct peace negotiations have been stalled since April 2003 when the Tigers staged a temporary pull out from the Norwegian-backed process.

The government and the Norwegians have since been struggling to bring the Tigers back into the peace talks.

The LTTE has faced wide spread condemnation for its alleged role in the Aug. 12 assassination of the foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

The government in the aftermath of the assassination called for talks to review the February 2002 ceasefire between the two parties.

No progress has been achieved as the two sides started to bicker over the venue.

The government insisting the talks to be held in Sri Lanka as opposed to the Tiger position of opting for a neutral overseas venue.

Source: Xinhua