New Delhi: Sri Lankan government is awaiting fresh proposals from LTTE (Liberation tigers of Tamil Eelam) to take the Norwegian-brokered peace process forward, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani said on October 20 after meeting visiting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wikremesinghe in New Delhi.

"Wikremesinghe discussed with me the progress in the ongoing peace process between the government and LTTE," Advani told reporters after the meeting.

"The Sri Lankan Prime Minister told me that his government is awaiting new proposals from LTTE and after that there is a possibility of the talks moving forwards," the Deputy Prime Minister said, adding that India wanted the peace process to move ahead.

Wickremesinghe arrived in New Delhi on October 19 night on a four-day 'working' visit for talks with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and other Indian leaders to bolster Defence and economic cooperation including upgrading the free trade pact between the two countries.

India has deep interest in peace and stability in Sri Lanka on the basis of preservation of that country's sovereignty and territorial integrity and the protection of legitimate rights of all its communities, officials said referring the Sri Lankan leader's visit.

Peace in Sri Lanka can only contribute to the further deepening and expansion of Indo-Sri Lankan ties to mutual advantage and benefit, they said.

PTI