The Norwegian government in a two-page statement issued here after the aborted face-to-face meeting in Oslo yesterday, said the situation in Sri Lanka [Images] was "grave" but it could not continue unless the parties cooperated.

"The grave situation in Sri Lanka, with escalating violence in breach of the Ceasefire Agreement, is intolerable for the civilian population and a cause of great concern to the international community," Norway said. "The full responsibility for halting violence and giving the peace process a new start, rests with the parties."

Lanka-Tigers talks fail to take off

Norway said the Nordic-run Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) will not be able to function following objections from the LTTE to the presence of members from countries which have banned the Tigers. Three out of five countries contributing staff to the SLMM are members of the European Union, which outlawed the Tigers as a terrorist organisation late last month.

"The Royal Norwegian Government is profoundly concerned with the gravity of the situation on the ground, the objection by the LTTE to collaborate with the SLMM with its present composition, the lack of dialogue between the parties, and the doubts voiced by many about the continued full commitment of the parties to the ceasefire agreement," it said.

There was no immediate reaction either from the government or the Tigers.

Norway said it wrote five questions to President Mahinda Rajapakse and the Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran seeking commitment to the peace process and security guarantees for monitors.

"The responses by the parties to these questions will determine which steps will next have to be taken by the Royal Norwegian Government and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, in close partnership with other actors in the international community."

The war in Lanka | More reports from Lanka