Thursday, April 14 2005 13:13 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: Sri Lanka's proposed "joint mechanism" to work with Tamil Tiger rebels in distributing tsunami aid would be the foundation for a final peace deal, President Chandrika Kumaratunga said today (Apr 14, 2005).

Kumaratunga, in a message marking the traditional New Year, which falls today, said that the move initiated by the peace broker of Norway could be the foundation for ending ethnic bloodshed.

"The proposed joint mechanism to provide aid to the people of the (troubled) North and East would be a foundation to find a final solution to the protracted national conflict," Kumaratunga said.

Her remarks were in sharp contrast to an earlier stand by her Government arguing that the joint mechanism will have no political clout and will simply confine itself to distributing aid with no implication for the peace process.

Norway is sending special envoy Erik Solheim to Colombo on Monday (Apr 18, 2005) try and salvage the troubled peace process and strive and clinch agreement on the "joint mechanism" to deliver aid to minority Tamils in rebel-held areas.

The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Government forces have observed a truce since February 23, 2002, but face-to-face peace talks, which opened in September 2002, were stalled in April 2003 and remain on hold.