Rajapaksa said the LTTE should give up terrorist activities and come to the negotiating table in the interest of the nation, The Hindu reported.

There was no room for suspecting the government’s intentions. It was the government which had been negotiating with the LTTE for the past 20 years expecting some positive outcome every time. Negotiations were held even in Geneva, Oslo and Japan though there were instances when the LTTE walked out of the talks, he said.

On India-Sri Lanka cooperation, President said New Delhi had always remained helpful to his country. “The relations between the two countries, I can say, are at their best.” He had great admiration for the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and considered him as the greatest of all politicians.

President Rajapaksa denied that Indian fishermen were being harassed by the Sri Lankan defence forces. It was the LTTE which was forcibly taking away their boats and using them for the smuggling of arms, he alleged. “We even have reports from aerial surveillance squads to substantiate this.”