Ahead of talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, India Friday pitched for consensus among the island nation's main political parties to salvage the fragile truce.
The need for "consensus" among the pre-dominantly Sinhalese parties was highlighted during talks Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran had with Norwegian negotiators in the Sri Lankan peace process Eric Solheim and John Hanssen-Bauer in New Delhi.
"We support all Indian moves" for forging such a consensus, Solheim, Norwegian minister of development cooperation, told reporters in New Delhi.
Describing the situation in Sri Lanka as "difficult", he said, "We strongly urge both the parties (Sri Lankan government and LTTE) to strictly implement the ceasefire agreement."
The peace talks will be resumed in Geneva on April 19.
"There are some practical issues that need to be sorted out," Solheim said but did not elaborate.
The Norwegian team's visit comes close on the heels of talks in New Delhi with Indian leaders earlier this week by former Sri Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, opposition leader who spearheads the United National Party.
Wickremesinghe's visit was seen as an attempt by India to maintain bipartisan relations in the island nation.
Wickremesinghe lost to Mahinda Rajapakse of Sri Lanka Freedom Party in the 2004 presidential elections.
Doubts were raised about the next round of talks after LTTE insisted that Colombo should deliver on a promise made during the previous round in February to disarm rival rebels.
