NEW DELHI: India on Monday denied comments made by Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim on Saturday that New Delhi had passed on messages to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) through Oslo.

"As you know, for several years we have been sharing our assessment with the Norwegians on developments in Sri Lanka and the peace process. This does not amount to sending any message to the LTTE or any other party," the External Affairs Ministry spokesman told this correspondent.

Earlier, at his regular press briefing, the spokesman was asked a specific question on how New Delhi could be passing messages to the Tigers when the LTTE remained a banned organisation in India. (India renewed the ban on the LTTE for a two-year period on May 4).

He said a representative of the Indian Embassy in Japan would receive a briefing on the May 30 meeting of the four co-chairs on Sri Lanka — Norway, the European Union, Japan and the United States — in Tokyo.

Efforts for dialogue

Referring to the recent visit of Mr. Erik Solheim to New Delhi, the spokesman said Norway was continuing its efforts to resume the dialogue process in Sri Lanka. Indian officials conveyed to Mr. Solheim that India wanted a peaceful, negotiated settlement to the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka, one which safeguarded the unity and sovereignty of the country.

Goodwill gesture

In a separate development, the spokesman said that 59 Pakistani fishermen were released through the Attari-Wagah border on Monday.

On Tuesday, 71 Indian fishermen are to be released by the Pakistan side through the same route.

According to him, New Delhi hoped that Pakistan would also release another 242 fishermen who had been confirmed as Indian nationals.

Apart from these persons, India hoped that it would be quickly be able to establish the nationality of another 192 fishermen in Pakistani custody.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail