by Rodney Martinesz in Hakone

The Government and the LTTE yesterday resolved to confer an enhanced role to the SLMM for de-escalating situations at sea before they develop into confrontations.

In this connection a meeting will be held in three weeks time between the Govt, the LTTE, the SLMM and Norway to decide on the appropriate mechanism to achieve this.

"The peace process is on even keel. Those who thought the process would breakdown following the recent incident will have to be disappointed." Govt. chief negotiator Prof. G. L. Peiris told journalists yesteday adding that the parties could now concentrate on the more substantive issues.

The Mullaithivu incident was taken up exclusively as a priority issue on the opening day of the sixth round of peace talks by the parties in order to work out a concrete mechanism to avoid any more similar confrontations in the future.

"We are going to get this issue out of the way so that we can focus on the substantive issues in the Agenda," chief government negotiator Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris said on Monday.

Speaking to journalists at the Hakone Prince Hotel, the venue of the talks, Peiris said that Japanese special envoy Yashushi Akashi was anxious that the more important issues such as implementation of decisions on human rights, the economic matters etc. be taken up ahead of the June donor meeting in Japan. "We want to get this matter over with.

Hence the decision slot it (the Mullaithivu issue) for the opening day" Peiris who met Akashi on Monday added. The Japanese special envoy also met Balasingham yesterday morning. After posing for the press cameramen, the duo were involved in a closed-door meeting.

Of particular note this time is that the Japanese envoy will preside over today's sessions of talks where the focus will be on the June aid conference.

Peiris earlier defended the Navy action in Mullaithivu saying the conduct of the vessel was suspicious. They (the government) would agree to any mechanism worked out by the SLMM to prevent similar clashes at sea.