Norway issues notice to Lanka, LTTE

COLOMBO: Norway has issued "notice" to the  Sri Lanka government and Tamil Tiger rebels requesting them "to respond in writing to five critical questions", including  their commitment to uphold the four-year  ceasefire agreement, to decide its future course of action.

"The Royal Norwegian Government is profoundly concerned with the gravity of the situation on the ground, objection by the LTTE to collaborate with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission  (SLMM) with its present composition, lack of dialogue between  the two parties, and doubts voiced by many about their continued full commitment to the ceasefire agreement," a statement issued by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said.

Questions like whether the parties wanted "continued existence and operation of the SLMM, whether they ensure safety and security for SLMM members and whether they accept amendments to the truce pact aiming for its best operation have been asked.