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India offers help to resolve Sri Lankan ethnic crisis

In the first high-level political contact with the new Sri Lankan government, India on Monday offered to extend all possible help to Colombo to resolve the protracted ethnic crisis as the two sides agreed to step up bilateral trade.

Visiting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe held wide ranging discussions with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the entire gamut of bilateral ties besides discussing regional and international issues of mutual concern.

The revival of the peace process with Norweigian assistance came up during the parleys.

Emerging from a meeting with the Sri Lankan leader, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh told reporters, "Our Sri Lankan policy has always been one of extending all types of help."

He said, "We want the crisis in Sri Lanka to be solved keeping in mind the Constitution and the territorial integrity of the country. Peace should be brokered keeping in mind the interests of all the ethnic groups involved."

Wickremesinghe, who is on a three-day official visit, also held talks with Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani.

The Sri Lankan leader, who is accompanied by Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando, called on President K R Narayanan.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi also had a 40-minute meeting with Wikremesinghe.

New Delhi is attaching considerable significance to the visit of Wickremesinghe whose United National Party swept to power in the just concluded elections after defeating President Chandrika Kumaratunga's Peoples' Alliance.

Colombo sees an important role for India in the resolution of the protracted ethnic problem.

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