Friday, August 19 2005 15:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: Norwegian peace brokers today (August 19, 2005) said they were trying to arrange an urgent meeting between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government after the rebels agreed to review the truce.

"We are right now talking to the two sides to arrange a meeting. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) has agreed to review the cease-fire, but dates and the venue are being discussed," Norwegian embassy spokesperson Tom Knappskog said here.

The breakthrough came after Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen and Foreign Minister Jan Petersen met with LTTE's London-based chief negotiator on Wednesday after attending the funeral of Sri Lanka's slain Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga in a letter to Norway's Prime Minister asked the peace brokers to bring the Tigers to the table to review the truce amid fears for it following Kadirgamar's assassination.

The President requested an "urgent meeting between the government and the LTTE...to review the practical functioning of the ceasefire with a view to prevent further killings and other violations," Kumaratunga's office said in a statement.

There was no immediate reaction from the LTTE to Norway's remarks that a review could take place soon, but the Tigers said on their website that they agreed to security arrangements for their cadres travelling through government held areas.

Tigers had earlier warned that they would carry weapons while travelling through government-held areas unless the government guaranteed them stepped up security.

"Travel plan for LTTE members to cross government areas, as recommended by the SLMM (Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission) has been accepted with the provision that the SLMM would endeavour to include Batticaloa-Amparai sector too as early as possible," the rebels said in the statement.

On the Sri Lankan government accusing the the LTTE of assassinating Kairgamar, the movement's political wing leader S P Thamilselvan said "it is very unfortunate that those responsible for crime investigation too jump on to the political bandwagon and pass verdicts well before investigations proper commence, enabling the offenders to go scot-free."

Earlier yesterday, the Sri Lankan Parliament extend a state of emergency imposed by the President after the assassination of the foreign minister.

Public Security Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake asked Parliament to vote in favour of the motion to extend the emergency for a period of one month. Unless Parliament votes for the emergency, the tough laws lapse within 10 days.