Sri Lanka asks Norway to keep up peace bid

Sri Lanka's new President Mahinda Rajapakse has asked Norway to keep trying to broker peace with Tamil Tiger rebels despite an election vow to review Oslo's role, a government statement said Wednesday.











Sri Lanka's new President Mahinda Rajapakse has asked Norway to keep trying to broker peace with Tamil Tiger rebels despite an election vow to review Oslo's role, a government statement said Wednesday. The president told Norway's ambassador Hans Brattskar to keep up the effort although two key allies of the government had earlier insisted that Norway should be expelled from the peace process.

"President Rajapakse invited the Royal Norwegian government to continue its role as facilitator to the peace process in Sri Lanka," the statement said.

Rajapakse also met envoys of the "co-chairs" -- the United States, the European Union, Japan and Norway -- who are leading efforts to raise money in support of peace.

"The president met with the four co-chairs and briefed them on his ongoing consultations and preparatory work for the continuation of the peace process," the statement said.

It was in sharp contrast to Rajapakse's inaugural policy statement in which he called for a brand-new peace p