India asks Sri Lanka to launch dialogue for political settlement

COLOMBO - India Friday pressed Sri Lanka to launch a structured dialogue to address issues related to rehabilitation of those displaced by the war and a political settlement, and Colombo promised that all homeless Tamils will be resettled by the end of the year.

India and Sri Lanka also signed a credit arrangement for $416.39 million for a railway project in the island’s north that will be formally launched by India’s External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Saturday.

The two sides exchanged instruments of ratification for operationalising the agreement on transfer of each other’s prisoners sentenced to jail terms and of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in the presence of Krishna and his Sri Lankan counterpart G.L. Peiris.

Krishna and Peiris concluded the seventh session of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission that covered an entire range of issues including intensification of trade and defence ties.

“The cessation of hostilities in Sri Lanka in May last year provides a historic opportunity to address all outstanding issues related to rehabilitation as well as a political settlement in a spirit of understanding and mutual accommodation, Krishna said after the meeting.

“It is our hope that a structured dialogue mechanism to work towards this end will be launched soon, he said.

“We have been assured that it is the intention of the Sri Lankan government to resettle the Internally Displaced Persons by the end of this year, he added.

Earlier in the day, Krishna called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Krishna began his four-day visit to India Thursday.

The two countries exchanged documents for a pilot project to build 50,000 houses for displaced Tamils in the Northern and Eastern provinces and for estate workers in the tea-growing Central Province.

Krishna, who will formally launch the pilot project in Jaffna Saturday, described it an enduring symbol of India-Sri Lanka partnership.

Krishna said he discussed with Peiris issues related to the safety of Indian fishermen in the sea dividing the two countries. We agreed that the joint Working Group on Fishing should meet soon, he said.