India invites Ranil for talks

29 May 2011 07:38 pm Views - 7448

Two weeks after Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris visited that country, India had invited Leader of the main Opposition United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickremesinghe for talks on the situation that had arisen in the wake of the release of the United Nations Experts’ Panel report, party sources said yesterday.

They said Mr. Wickremesinghe was to leave for New Delhi yesterday and would hold talks with Indian leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna.

However, sources said he would not meet newly elected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jeyaram during this visit.

Shortly after her sweeping victory in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Wickremesinghe contacted Ms. Jeyaram and conveyed his good wishes. They agreed to meet on a suitable date.

After the release of UN Panel report described by the government as the ‘Darusman Report, the UNP appointed a committee headed by veteran Civil Servant Bradman Weerakoon to study it and recommend how the party should respond to it.

Though the committee report has been submitted to the UNP hierarchy, it is not yet in the public domain.

Prof. Peiris visited India on May 16 to brief the Indian leaders on the UN Advisory Panel Report which called for an investigation into human rights allegations during the final stages of the war.  Subsequent to this visit, there was a joint statement in which India asked Sri Lanka to probe alleged human rights violations. India had also stressed the need to evolve a political solution based on the 13th Amendment plus and expedite the implementation of various projects being funded by India. These projects include the development of the Kankasanthurai Harbour, the Palali Airbase and the Sampur Coal Power Project.

After the visit to India, Prof. Peiris visit China and held talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing. (Kelum Bandara)