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Tamil problem to top SM Krishna's agenda in Sri Lanka visit

Published: Monday, Jan 16, 2012, 18:46 IST
By ETB Sivapriyan | Place: COLOMBO | Agency: PTI

India will conduct a review of the development process aided by it for the war displaced people in northern Sri Lanka and push for a political solution to the decade-old Tamil question when External Affairs Minister SM Krishna meets the country's top leadership in Colombo on Tuesday.

Krishna, who arrived in Colombo on Monday, will meet Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister DM Jayaratne and his counterpart GL Peiris and hold discussions on several issues.

In a departure from protocol, Peiris personally welcomed Krishna at the Bandaranaike International Airport here after which both headed to the VIP lounge and were seen talking to each other.

Briefing reporters on-board a special aircraft, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said Krishna will review the developmental assistance provided by India since 2009 after the end of decade-old civil war and sign an MoU for building 49,000 houses for displaced Tamil civilians in northern Sri Lanka.

"The visit comes in the backdrop of the release of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report and India has already offered initial comments. During the visit, we will see what Sri Lanka intends to do about this," he said.

Akbaruddin said India's position as always been that a solution to the ethnic problem should be found politically and Sri Lanka has to implement the 13th amendment of the constitution and beyond.

The 13th amendment deals with the devolution of power to the northern areas, that were till 2009 under the control of the LTTE.

Krishna will tomorrow visit Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) memorial in Colombo, the first Indian political leader to pay a visit to the site.

During his breakfast meeting with Rajapakse on Tuesday, Krishna is expected to take up the entire gamut of bilateral issues, including developmental assistance India has been providing and relief and rehabilitation programme's progress, sources said.

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