Colombo: Sri Lanka is expected to make a determined bid on November 21 to get India to participate in a donor conference in Oslo next week, when a senior minister involved in the peace process visits New Delhi, officials said on November 20.

Economic Reforms Minister Milinda Moragoda, one of the government negotiators in the ongoing peace talks, is expected to call on Indian leaders, including Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha, in an attempt to procure India's participation in the donors' meet on November 25.

India has serious reservations about joining the "peace support meeting" organised by peace facilitator Norway, as it will then be sharing a platform with the outlawed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE), which partner with the Sri Lankan government in making an international appeal for aid.

No official decision has been disclosed on whether India would participate in the conference, but Sri Lanka is hoping that at least India's Ambassador in Norway, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, will be present.

The US, Britain, Canada and Australia will be represented at a high-level in Oslo. US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Britain's Overseas Development Minister Claire Short are expected to signal the strong support of the west to the peace process.

It is clear that the government here badly wants India to be present, as the influential neighbour's absence may be seen as a setback to the peace initiative.

The state media has been carrying reports that Gandhi is certain to represent India, even though such a decision has not been announced.

PTI