The Sri Lankan Government on Friday said it was 'amenable' and ready to 'discuss anything' with the Tamil Tiger rebels with the help of Norwegian peace brokers at an Asian venue.
Government spokesman Nimal Siripala de Silva confirmed a report from a Japanese Envoy on Sunday that Colombo was willing to hold talks with Tigers at an Asian venue.
On Sunday, Japan's special peace envoy to Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi offered to host the talks after the government said it was no longer insisting negotiations must be held within the island.
"We have relaxed that condition of insisting on talks in Sri Lanka. We are awaiting a positive response from the LTTE."
He said Norway had agreed to keep up its role despite the new government of President Mahinda Rajapakse having won the November 17 election on a promise to overhaul the Norwegian-backed initiative.
The spokesman said the government was ready to talk 'anything' with the Tigers and what it felt important was to immediately sit down with the rebels for face-to-face negotiations.
"We must first break the ice. We are ready to discuss anything," he said.
Norway's foreign minister told his Sri Lankan counterpart on Thursday that Oslo would continue trying to broker peace, but only under strict conditions.
Jonas Gahr Store met Mangala Samaraweera on Thursday on the sidelines of the World Trade Organisation meeting in Hong Kong to reassure that Oslo remained committed to staying on as mediator.
