GOL SUPPORTS DESIGNATING LTTE AS TERRORIST GROUP

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 001062 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2015 TAGS: PGOV KTFN PREL PTER CO LH SUBJECT: GOL SUPPORTS DESIGNATING LTTE AS TERRORIST GROUP REF: SECSTATE 172115 Classified By: Political/Economic Officer Alexander Titolo for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). (C) The GOL supports the EU listing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist organization. Tomas Gulbinas, Head of the MFA's Common Foreign and Security Policy Division, and Dainius Kamaitis, Head of the MFA's Asia and Pacific Division, told us September 21 and 22 respectively that a Sri Lankan special envoy based in Oslo recently visited Lithuania and the other Baltic States to present his government's case for why the EU should take a tougher stance on the LTTE. They added that the GOL is convinced of the merits of this argument. Kamaitis told us that there is an understanding within the EU that some sort of message must be sent to the Tamil rebels in the wake of the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. He said that some nations are hesitant to designate the LTTE as a terrorist organization because they believe it will imperil international humanitarian projects underway in the Tamil region of Sri Lanka. Gulbinas told us that he thinks it is likely that the EU will eventually decide to label the LTTE as a terrorist group, but that talks aimed at reaching a consensus for this action are still dragging on. MULL