Menon holds candlelight talks in strife-torn Lanka

In the face of renewed violence in Sri Lanka, Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon met President Mahinda Rajapakse on Thursday to discuss the worsening situation in the strife-torn island nation.

Menon called on Rajapakse and had a one-to-one meeting with him at the latter's residence, spokesman Chandrapala Liyanage said. Menon conveyed India's 'deep concern' over the worsening situation in the island nation.

Sri Lankan officials said Menon had a frank and cordial discussion with Rajapakse at Temple Trees. The two sides also tried to finalise details of India's gift of over 7,000 tonnes of food for civilians in the island's embattled northern and eastern regions.

'These included, among others, the current developments relating to the peace process, status of negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, proposed Indian investment in a coal power plant in Trincomalee and prospects for cooperation in the health and cultural spheres,' the statement said.

He later met a cross-section of political leaders at a dinner at India House, the official residence of India's High Commissioner here.

"I must first convey to my government on the discussions I had on Thursday," Menon told reporters in Colombo. He declined to go into details but said he would be returning to Delhi on Friday.

The Sri Lankan foreign ministry said in a statement that the two sides discussed a 'range of issues' relating to bilateral cooperation. 
 
The parleys had to be conducted in candle and torch light as an electric short circuit had caused a black out at the President's residence. Menon's visit follows serious concern expressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over renewed violence in the island's embattled regions.

Meanwhile, the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam said troops were advancing on positions held by them in the eastern district of Batticaloa, but the Sri Lankan defence ministry said it was the Tigers who had initiated an offensive.

The Tigers said they killed seven policemen in the east of the island while the defence ministry said they lost only four. The ministry said seven more soldiers were wounded in the battle, but gave no details of rebel casualties.

"The security forces sought the assistance of the air force to engage their (Tiger) gun and mortar positions in addition to the use of all other resources available there," the ministry said in a statement. Fighting in the island nation has escalated in the past year despite a truce that is in place since 2002.