Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Ministers on joint Sri Lanka trip
T
he British and French foreign ministers are to make a one-day trip to Sri Lanka amid efforts to secure a truce between the army and rebels.
David Miliband of Britain and Bernard Kouchner of France will meet top officials and visit an area where displaced people are living in camps.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt was barred from joining them for reasons he says are obscure.
Sweden recalled its foreign minister in protest against the decision.
The Czech presidency of the EU called the decision a "grave mistake".
See a map of the region
Sri Lanka has had tense relations with the Scandinavian former monitors of its peace process, though its main problems have been with the former principal mediator, Norway.
Sri Lanka said it was taken by surprise by the EU's strong reaction over Mr Bildt, who it said would be welcome to visit next month.
The British and French ministers were visiting at the foreign ministry's invitation, while very little notice of Mr Bildt's plans had been given, a Sri Lankan official said.
'Artillery and mortars'
The Sri Lankan military has restricted Tamil Tiger rebels to a 12 sq km (5 sq miles) area of land in the north of the islands and believes it is close to defeating them.
Tens of thousands of civilians have been trapped in the area, and the EU and the UN have urged Sri Lanka to observe a pause in its campaign to let them out.
The government says a halt would serve no purpose.
Diplomatic efforts to bring more help for the civilians in the war zone have so far made little progress.he British and French foreign ministers are to make a one-day trip to Sri Lanka amid efforts to secure a truce between the army and rebels.
David Miliband of Britain and Bernard Kouchner of France will meet top officials and visit an area where displaced people are living in camps.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt was barred from joining them for reasons he says are obscure.
Sweden recalled its foreign minister in protest against the decision.
The Czech presidency of the EU called the decision a "grave mistake".
See a map of the region
Sri Lanka has had tense relations with the Scandinavian former monitors of its peace process, though its main problems have been with the former principal mediator, Norway.
Sri Lanka said it was taken by surprise by the EU's strong reaction over Mr Bildt, who it said would be welcome to visit next month.
The British and French ministers were visiting at the foreign ministry's invitation, while very little notice of Mr Bildt's plans had been given, a Sri Lankan official said.
'Artillery and mortars'
The Sri Lankan military has restricted Tamil Tiger rebels to a 12 sq km (5 sq miles) area of land in the north of the islands and believes it is close to defeating them.
Tens of thousands of civilians have been trapped in the area, and the EU and the UN have urged Sri Lanka to observe a pause in its campaign to let them out.
The government says a halt would serve no purpose.
Diplomatic efforts to bring more help for the civilians in the war zone have so far made little progress.
he British and French foreign ministers are to make a one-day trip to Sri Lanka amid efforts to secure a truce between the army and rebels.
David Miliband of Britain and Bernard Kouchner of France will meet top officials and visit an area where displaced people are living in camps.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt was barred from joining them for reasons he says are obscure.
Sweden recalled its foreign minister in protest against the decision.
The Czech presidency of the EU called the decision a "grave mistake".
See a map of the region
Sri Lanka has had tense relations with the Scandinavian former monitors of its peace process, though its main problems have been with the former principal mediator, Norway.
Sri Lanka said it was taken by surprise by the EU's strong reaction over Mr Bildt, who it said would be welcome to visit next month.
The British and French ministers were visiting at the foreign ministry's invitation, while very little notice of Mr Bildt's plans had been given, a Sri Lankan official said.
'Artillery and mortars'
The Sri Lankan military has restricted Tamil Tiger rebels to a 12 sq km (5 sq miles) area of land in the north of the islands and believes it is close to defeating them.
Tens of thousands of civilians have been trapped in the area, and the EU and the UN have urged Sri Lanka to observe a pause in its campaign to let them out.
The government says a halt would serve no purpose.
Diplomatic efforts to bring more help for the civilians in the war zone have so far made little progress.he British and French foreign ministers are to make a one-day trip to Sri Lanka amid efforts to secure a truce between the army and rebels.
David Miliband of Britain and Bernard Kouchner of France will meet top officials and visit an area where displaced people are living in camps.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt was barred from joining them for reasons he says are obscure.
Sweden recalled its foreign minister in protest against the decision.
The Czech presidency of the EU called the decision a "grave mistake".
See a map of the region
Sri Lanka has had tense relations with the Scandinavian former monitors of its peace process, though its main problems have been with the former principal mediator, Norway.
Sri Lanka said it was taken by surprise by the EU's strong reaction over Mr Bildt, who it said would be welcome to visit next month.
The British and French ministers were visiting at the foreign ministry's invitation, while very little notice of Mr Bildt's plans had been given, a Sri Lankan official said.
'Artillery and mortars'
The Sri Lankan military has restricted Tamil Tiger rebels to a 12 sq km (5 sq miles) area of land in the north of the islands and believes it is close to defeating them.
Tens of thousands of civilians have been trapped in the area, and the EU and the UN have urged Sri Lanka to observe a pause in its campaign to let them out.
The government says a halt would serve no purpose.
Diplomatic efforts to bring more help for the civilians in the war zone have so far made little progress.
