Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06OSLO18
2006-01-05 12:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Oslo
Cable title:  

NORWAY HOPES TO JUMPSTART SRI LANKA PEACE TALKS

Tags:  PREL PGOV CE NO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000018 

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV CE NO
SUBJECT: NORWAY HOPES TO JUMPSTART SRI LANKA PEACE TALKS

REF: 05 OSLO 1263

Classified By: Pol/E Chief Mike Hammer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000018

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV CE NO
SUBJECT: NORWAY HOPES TO JUMPSTART SRI LANKA PEACE TALKS

REF: 05 OSLO 1263

Classified By: Pol/E Chief Mike Hammer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. Norway's Minister of International
Development Erik Solheim will travel to Colombo January 23-26
in an effort to jumpstart peace talks between the Government
and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Solheim and
his team are quite concerned that the situation in Sri Lanka
will deteriorate if there is no return to the negotiating
table and if the "loosely upheld" ceasefire simply limps
along. End summary.

Current Situation Dicey
- - - - - - - - - - - -


2. (C) Norwegian MFA Special Advisor for Sri Lanka Lisa
Golden shared with us Minister Solheim's concerns over the
current impasse and state-of-play in Sri Lanka. The
Norwegians are worried that instead of discussing substantive
issues, the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) are
jockeying over which side gets to dictate where to hold talks
and who can participate. Norway offered to host talks in
Oslo in August of 2005 (reftel),but the GSL refused to give
the LTTE the international prestige Oslo would bestow. The
issue of venue has now become larger than finding a suitable
location as neither side wants to start negotiations at a
location the other side dictated. Norway hopes that the
offer to host the first round of discussions in Japan, with a
second round in Norway, will be accepted so that discussions
can commence.

Can Solheim Visit Jumpstart Talks ?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


3. (C) Solheim is planning to visit Sri Lanka January 23 for
three days of meetings with both the LTTE and the GSL. He
tentatively plans to stop off and meet with his Indian
counterparts on his way back to Norway. According to Golden,
if the venue issue is still unresolved by the time Solheim
visits, Solheim will push for resolution. The MFA is
concerned that the longer the ceasefire continues to limp
along "loosely upheld" with no real tangible progress, the
easier it is for the more hard-line military commanders of
the LTTE to move away from the ceasefire agreement and
possibly to increase attacks.


4. (C) Norway believes that the LTTE does care about its
international reputation, although to what degree is unclear,
and therefore the threat of eliminating its funding sources
continues to be one factor restraining them from more
violence. Golden believes that if the EU names the LTTE as a
terrorist group or if the U.S. aggressively pursues LTTE
fundraising, the LTTE will feel the pressure. Interestingly,
Norway announced on January 5 that it will no longer
associate itself with EU terrorist listings, but rather will
follow only UN listings. In explaining this decision,
Foreign Minister Stoere said that Norway's association with
EU listings "could cause difficulties for Norway in its role
as a neutral facilitator in ongoing peace processes.
Norway's role could become difficult if one of the parties
involved was included on the EU list, and the opportunities
for contact thus restricted."

Comment
- - - -


5. (C) Norway remains committed to continuing its role as
peace negotiator in Sri Lanka but is becoming increasingly
pessimistic and fears that without a resumption of talks
soon, the situation will deteriorate. Solheim would welcome
any suggestions we have for how he might best help jumpstart
the peace process during his January visit.


6. (C) Comment continued. Norway's new left-of-center
government, as is clear from its decision to disassociate
itself from the EU terrorist listing, is eager to carve out
even a greater role as an international mediator. While
Norway in no way wants this decision to be seen as it walking
away from its international legal obligations to combat
terrorism, it does want to maximize its ability to engage
with groups some would define as terrorists, the LTTE being a
prime example.
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