Washington: India will participate in a key international meet in Washington next week to garner wide political and economic support for the peace process in Sri Lanka.

"Representatives of the governments of Germany, India, Japan, Norway and the UK have already confirmed their participation" in the meeting to be held in Washington on April 14, the Sri Lankan Embassy said in a statement on April 8.

This will be the first time that the Indian government will take part in a meet concerning the peace process between Sri Lanka and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) that began in 2002, the release added.

At a smaller aid conference in the Norwegian capital Oslo in November 2002, India was represented only at a low level.

Nearly 30 countries that provide aid to Sri Lanka will participate in the April 14 meet which will be co-chaired by US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Sri Lanka's Minister for Economic Reform, Science and Technology Milinda Moragoda.

The meet will discuss the need for development and re-construction assistance and how that can help consolidate the ceasefire and reinforce the peace process in Sri Lanka, the release said.

It will be a precursor to the 'Tokyo Conference on Reconstruction and Development of Sri Lanka' to be hosted by Japan in June, it said.

The Sri Lankan government and the LTTE signed a ceasefire, which has been in effect since February 23 2002.

PTI