Sri Lankan Prime Minister says he will work with LTTE

Описание: (24 Jan 2005)

1. Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik greeting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse
2. Cameramen
3. Pan of meeting
4. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse
5. Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik
6. Rajapakse and Plassnik
7. Cameramen
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mahinda Rajapakse, Sri Lankan Prime Minister:
"We have not changed our position. We are ready to work with all the political parties, whether the U-N-P (United National Party) or the J-V-P (Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna), or any other political parties that is there, we are ready to work with them."
9. Staff watching meeting

STORYLINE:

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister said on Monday that the government was ready to work with the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) to resolve a dispute over aid distribution in the island nation, where the tsunami killed about 31,000 people and displaced another one (m) million.

Mahinda Rajapakse did not name the LTTE specifically but said he was ready "to work with all the political parties".

Rajapakse made his comments after a meeting with Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik who is in Sri Lanka to check Austrian relief aid and reconstruction efforts in the tsunami-hit areas.

Since the tsunami struck, local task forces comprised of representatives from the government, the rebels and international aid agencies have coordinated relief on the ground.

The rebels have repeatedly accused the government of failing to give a fair share of supplies to northern and eastern parts of the island nation under rebel control.

The government denies the allegations.

Most international donors are reluctant to give funds directly to the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam, which is banned as a terrorist group in five countries, including the United States and India.

A top Norwegian envoy held surprise talks on Monday with a Tamil Tiger rebel leader on setting up a new way to distribute tsunami aid that would give the guerrillas more oversight of aid headed for territory they control.

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