Swedish official visits Sri Lanka to settle SLMM crisis [Thursday , July 20, 2006 - 8.30 GMT]

Mr. Anders Oljelund, Ambassador-at-Large of the Swedish Foreign Ministry, is visiting Sri Lanka to hold discussions with the GOSL and the LTTE. Mr. Oljelund will discuss matters specifically related to the SLMM and its future.

The contributing countries of the SLMM namely Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland met in Oslo, June 29 this year to discuss the recent demand by the LTTE to expel nationals from EU countries serving in the SLMM. The European Union, May this year, listed the LTTE in its list of terrorist organizations.

The Swedish official met senior officials of SCOPP and also had a meeting with the Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs last afternoon. The Government pointed out that the decision of the LTTE is entirely unilateral and the Government rejects the rationale behind this decision. The Government, as well as the Norwegian Facilitator, and the EU, have repeatedly stated that individual monitors of the SLMM, as with any other international organization, do not represent their home countries rather they function under the common banner of the SLMM.

Further to this, it was also pointed out that the SLMM operations in Sri Lanka are governed by the Status of Mission Agreement (SOMA), which is a Treaty signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Royal Norwegian Government.

It was also pointed out that the decision of the LTTE to expel EU nationals from the SLMM is intended to cripple the monitoring activities of the SLMM and make the Ceasefire meaningless.

Mr Oljelund will be visiting Jaffna today (20) and then will travel to Kilinochchi with the SLMM tomorrow, Friday 21, to meet with the LTTE political leadership.

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Last Updated Date: July 20, 2006 -8.30 GMT