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Sri Lanka not looking at February for Indian PM`s visit
Saturday, 5 January 2008 - 4:45 AM SL Time
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Sri Lanka said Friday that it was not expecting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit the country in February, to be the chief guest at the 6oth independence day celebrations.
`We are not looking at February or any other specific date for the Indian prime minister`s visit. What we would like is a bilateral visit by the Indian prime minister in the course of 2008. No Indian prime minister has paid a bilateral visit to Sri Lanka in the last 20 years,` Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told the media here.
Asked if any other date had been fixed if Manmohan Singh was not likely to be in Colombo Feb 4, the country`s independence day, the minister said it was for India to come up with dates.
According to diplomatic sources, the Sri Lankan government had invited Singh to be the chief guest at the Feb 4 independence day celebrations. But the Indian government had not taken a decision in the matter.
Reportedly, India wanted the Mahinda Rajapaksa government to bring out a credible devolution proposal to resolve the ethnic question in the island ahead of any such visit so that Singh could justify the trip to fellow Indians.
Asked whether Sri Lanka was expecting India to play a role in the peace process now that Norway`s position as peace facilitator had suffered serious erosion after Colombo abrogated the ceasefire agreement Oslo helped broker in 2002 with the Tamil Tigers, Bogollagama said that New Delhi was indeed in the picture.
`India is very much visible. Like Sri Lanka, India is keen on working towards a sustainable peace in the country,` he said.
Rajiv Gandhi was the last Indian prime minister to pay a bilateral visit to Sri Lanka in July 1987.
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Joseph
Joined: Dec 2006
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 6 Jan 2008 10:59:07 GMT Report for Abuse
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This is a slap on the face of SL and confirms poor diplomacy.
The pressure created from Tamil Nadu LTTE symphathises too would have been a factor.
The main problem appears to be the GOSL attitude of not putting a political solution on the table while keeping the military pressure.
From time to time they speak about the political solution when a important event or a visit is looming just to show the world but not a sincere effort.
A firm political solution is now 25 years late and a reasonalble package will drive tamils away from the LTTE and isolate its leader. Inability to provide a acceptable political solution is a shame on all southern politicians who always play to the party advantages to stay in power rather than solving the buring national issue. |
Thambi
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 6 Jan 2008 12:30:27 GMT Report for Abuse
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| Yes , we know you are no looking for Inidan PM visit , in fact they have declined your invitation - they see srilanka as a pariah state . Manmohan won't come for Feb 4 celebrations
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will not attend Sri Lanka's Independence Day celebrations on February 4, The Sunday Leader learns.
The Government earlier extended an official invitation to the Indian Prime Minister to be the Chief Guest at the 60 years of independence celebrations in Colombo.
The Sunday Leader learns however that due to the escalating violence, the abrogation of the Ceasefire Agreement and the failure of the Government to submit a viable political package to resolve the ethnic conflict has prompted the postponement of a possible visit by the Indian Prime Minister. |
Sintamus
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6 Jan 2008 14:05:36 GMT Report for Abuse
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APRC proposals to strengthen and legitimise Unitary system is not acceptable to the international community including India.
In order to hide their hidden agenda of continued war and unacceptable proposals of APRC, SLG preferred to maintain a status quo of wait and see attitude. Now withdrawal from CFA has raised doubts about the intention of SLG in the minds of donor countries. More and more of duplicities of MR is coming to light. |
Thambi
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6 Jan 2008 14:12:31 GMT Report for Abuse
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Now withdrawal from CFA has raised doubts about the intention of SLG in the minds of donor countries. More and more of duplicities of MR is coming to light.
the only way out this mess , LTTE should hammer GoSL left and right in the battle front to commit to a peaceful resolve to this conflict - only the military victory by LTTE would force GoSL to stick to a peaceful solution to the conflict . |
Magnum357
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 7 Jan 2008 01:54:11 GMT Report for Abuse
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Manmohan Sing had flatly refused to come to Sri Lanka because of the preassure brought on him politically by the political leaders in Tamilnadu due to apparently the fact of innocent tamils being killed by the SL govt. in the north and the east.
Edited By - Magnum357 - 7 Jan 2008 01:54:54 GMT |
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