Norwegian peace envoy to arrive in Sri Lanka

Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim will arrive in Sri Lanka on Monday for his regular visit to the island country, Daily News reported on Saturday.

Solheim is due to meet President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, other representatives of the government and opposition as well as with civil society.

He will also have consultations in Kilinochchi with the leader of the rebel Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Solheim's last visit to Sri Lanka on Nov. 9 has failed to restart the stalled peace talks between the government and LTTE rebels, which have been on hold since last April after six rounds of direct negotiations started in September 2002.

The LTTE rebels had been fighting against government forces to set up an independent Tamil homeland in the north and east since 1983 until they entered into a Norwegian-brokered ceasefire in February 2002.

Source: Xinhua