Political development towards UN intervention- ENB
Peace makers to discuss Lanka after Co-chairs
* Kofi Annan and Boutros Boutros-Ghali to meet
* Akashi to focus attention on displaced
* Working meeting, no public comment
By Sunil Jayasiri
Several prominent international peace envoys, including former UN Secretaries General Kofi Annan and Boutros Boutros-Ghali are expected to meet in Oslo on the sidelines of the Sri Lanka’s Co-chair meeting today and exchange and compare notes on the worldwide peace processes they had been involved in.
“The main focus of their meeting will invariably be on Sri Lanka’s peace process, since the meeting of the envoys coincides with the co-chairs’ meeting,” highly placed diplomatic sources said yesterday. Accordingly, mediator in the Northern Ireland peace process, US Senator George Mitchell, Japanese Peace Envoy Yasushi Akashi and several prominent peace negotiators who had played vital roles in peace processes worldwide, are also to participate at this meeting.
“They will compare techniques, approaches, failures as well as the successes of each and every peace process that they were involved in during this meeting,” he said.
At the same time, Sri Lanka’s main donor nations – the US, Japan, the EU and Norway - will meet in Oslo today to discuss ways to bring the government and the Tamil Tigers back to the negotiating table. Peace broker Norway will host the meeting.
Meanwhile, Mr. Akashi, who visited Sri Lanka recently, is to make a special request from the international community to immediately assist thousands of displaced people in the Eastern Province.
Diplomatic sources said that in a special report on Sri Lanka, Mr. Akashi would focus attention on the displaced civilians in the Batticaloa district following military operations in the area by the government.
“He will submit a comprehensive report on the displacement and at the same time will urge the international community to help as soon as possible as civilians were suffering in the area,” the official said.
Meanwhile, issuing a statement on the Co-chair meeting, Norway’s Minister of International Development Erik Solheim said, “It will be a working meeting and follows several recent high-level visits to Sri Lanka. The purpose of the meeting is to share information and views.”
“They will explore ways and means in which the group, as a whole or as individual countries, can continue helping the parties to cease violence and return to the negotiating table,” the statement added.
The US will be represented by Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, Special Representative Yasushi Akashi will represent Japan, Director-General Andreas Michaelis will represent the EU Presidency and Acting Deputy Director-General James Morran will represent the European Commission.Norway also said that it does not intend to make any public statements after the meeting.
“The main focus of their meeting will invariably be on Sri Lanka’s peace process, since the meeting of the envoys coincides with the co-chairs’ meeting,” highly placed diplomatic sources said yesterday. Accordingly, mediator in the Northern Ireland peace process, US Senator George Mitchell, Japanese Peace Envoy Yasushi Akashi and several prominent peace negotiators who had played vital roles in peace processes worldwide, are also to participate at this meeting.
“They will compare techniques, approaches, failures as well as the successes of each and every peace process that they were involved in during this meeting,” he said.
At the same time, Sri Lanka’s main donor nations – the US, Japan, the EU and Norway - will meet in Oslo today to discuss ways to bring the government and the Tamil Tigers back to the negotiating table. Peace broker Norway will host the meeting.
Meanwhile, Mr. Akashi, who visited Sri Lanka recently, is to make a special request from the international community to immediately assist thousands of displaced people in the Eastern Province.
Diplomatic sources said that in a special report on Sri Lanka, Mr. Akashi would focus attention on the displaced civilians in the Batticaloa district following military operations in the area by the government.
“He will submit a comprehensive report on the displacement and at the same time will urge the international community to help as soon as possible as civilians were suffering in the area,” the official said.
Meanwhile, issuing a statement on the Co-chair meeting, Norway’s Minister of International Development Erik Solheim said, “It will be a working meeting and follows several recent high-level visits to Sri Lanka. The purpose of the meeting is to share information and views.”
“They will explore ways and means in which the group, as a whole or as individual countries, can continue helping the parties to cease violence and return to the negotiating table,” the statement added.
The US will be represented by Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, Special Representative Yasushi Akashi will represent Japan, Director-General Andreas Michaelis will represent the EU Presidency and Acting Deputy Director-General James Morran will represent the European Commission.Norway also said that it does not intend to make any public statements after the meeting.
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