Sri Lanka’s co-chairs of peace gather in two weeks for extraordinary meeting

Peacebroker Norway said Wednesday that Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels will be invited to meet soon at the international airport to review their troubled truce, after weeks of haggling over a venue.









Peacebroker Norway said Wednesday that Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels will be invited to meet soon at the international airport to review their troubled truce, after weeks of haggling over a venue. The Norwegian embassy said they decided on Bandaranaike International airport as a possible neutral venue that would be acceptable to both sides.

Colombo had maintained that it wanted the talks in Sri Lanka while the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) offered talks inside territory held by them or at an overseas venue.

"Any travel out of the country by the LTTE would have involved several hours of transit at the international airport. Hence we draw the conclusion that this venue also should be acceptable to the LTTE," an embassy statement said.

"The Royal Norwegian government will shortly call a meeting of the parties at the Colombo International Airport," the statement said.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga's office said the government, which asked for a review