COLOMBO: Sri Lankan foreign minister Ranjan Wijeratne spoke of greater understanding between his country and India and said both countries were now eager to work out a possible ceasefire among the rival Tamil groups towards finding a solution to the island’s ethnic problem.
Addressing the weekly post cabinet news conference Wijeratne said his recent visit to Delhi for talks with the Indian leaders on reduction of the IPKF and related issues was very satisfactory.
He said there were “growing understanding” of each other’s problems and domestic compulsions and his Indian counterpart LK. Gujral has assured to personally look into the Sri Lankan request to speed up the withdrawal ahead of the deadline of March 31.
Wijeratne said the new leadership in India was very keen to establish good relations with its neighbors. The foreign minister said, “We in Sri Lanka must respond to that. We have to have a change of heart, bearing in mind compulsions of both the side.”
Referring to the recent discussions the Tamil chief minister M. Karunanidhi was holding with different Tamil groups with a view to find a solution to the islands ethnic problem, Wijeratne said both India and Sri Lanka were working out to get the rival Tamil groups to stop fighting each other.
A possible ceasefire among the Tamil groups was being discussed. He said his government was doing, the “homework” on the issue but would not go into details. He hoped the Tamil groups of Sri Lanka would utilize the good offices of Karunahidhi to effect a ceasefire.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 19, 1990
