The President of Sri Lanka has requested the Prime Minister of India to recommence the withdrawal of the IPKF. The withdrawal will recommence on the 29th of July 1989. The High Commissioner of India reiterated the invitation of the Minister of External Affairs of the Government of India to the Foreign Minister of the Government of Sri Lanka to visit India to discuss the time schedule for the withdrawal of the remaining IPKF contingent in Sri Lanka. The invitation has been accepted. This opportunity will be used to review the implementation of the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement. During the visit of the delegation of the question of cessation of all offensive military operation by the IPKF and the safety and security of all communities in North Eastern Province of Sri Lanka will also be discussed.

Press Statement issued by the Sri Lankan Delegation at the conclusion of talks, New Delhi, 4 August 1989.

1. A delegation led by Hon. Ranjan Wijeratne, Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka and comprising Hon. A.C.S. Hameed, Minister of Higher Education, Scien ce and Technology and senior officials of the Government of Sri Lanka visited New Delhi from July 29 to August 4, 1989 at the invitation of the Minister of External Affairs of India, His Excellency Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao.

2. During their stay in Delhi, the delegation called on the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Shri Rajiv Gandhi. The delegation had two rounds of talks with the Prime Minister of India and several discussions with the Minister of External Affairs, His Excellency Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao and the Minister of Defence, His Excellency Shri K.C. Pant. The talks were held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere.

3. The discussions centered around the regular and expeditious withdrawal of the IPKF, the cessation of offensive military operations by them and the security situation in the Northern and Eastern Provinces and other relevant issues. During the discussions, both sides presented their proposals for resolving the issues involved.

4. The Sri Lanka delegation leaves for Colombo today and will submit their report to His Excellency President R. Premadasa for his consideration and decision.

Joint Communique on IPKF withdrawal, Colombo, 18 September 1989

Colombo, September 18. The following is the text of the joint communiqué issued simultaneously by the Government of India and the Government of Sri Lanka today.

In pursuance of the communiqué signed in Colombo on July 28, 1989, by Mr. L. L. Mehrotra, the High Commissioner of India, and Mr. Bernard Tilakratne, Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, three rounds of consultation were held by the two Governments.

A Sri Lankan delegation, led by the Foreign Minister, Mr. Ranjan Wijeratne, visited India from July 29 to August 4, 1989. Mr. Bradman Weerakoon, Special Envoy of the President of Sri Lanka, held further discussion in New Delhi from August 15 to 17, 1989. A final round of talks was held between Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, and Mr. Ranjan Wijeratne, Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, during their visit to Belgrade from September 4 to 7, 1989.

Cordial, friendly: The talks were held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere. They covered bilateral issues, including the de-induction of the remaining IPKF contingents in Sri Lanka, the implementation of the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement, and measures to ensure the safety and security of all communities of the North-Eastern Province of Sri Lanka.

The implementation of the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement was reviewed in depth by the two sides. The Sri Lankan side briefed the Indian side on the progress made and the further steps taken by them for the expeditious implementation of the devolution process, such as establishing of the provincial police force and facilitating the effective functioning of the North-Eastern Provincial Council, and the establishment of an adequate administrative structure for that purpose. The Lankan side also informed the Indian side that it would institute all measures to strengthen the civil administration as early as possible which would ensure peace and normalcy in the North-Eastern Province.

Peace committee: The Sri Lankan side informed the Indian side of their decision to set up a peace committee on September 20, 1989, to afford an opportunity to all political and ethnic groups in the North-Eastern Province to come together to settle their differences, through a process of consultation, compromise and consensus, and to bring all groups into the democratic process, thereby ending violence and improving conditions for the physical safety and security of all communities. This would help restore normalcy and contribute to the effective functioning of the North-Eastern Provincial Council. The first meeting of the peace committee will be held within three weeks of the setting up of this committee. This decision was welcomed by the Indian side.

It was decided to set up a security coordination group comprising the Sri Lankan Minister of State for Defence, the Chief Minister of the North-Eastern Province, the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary and the GOC of the IPKF, with a view to avoiding any adverse impact on the law and order situation in the North-Eastern Province and to suggest measures to ensure the safety and security in the North-Eastern Province as the phased de-induction of the IPKF and the strengthening of the civilian administration of the North-Eastern Province of Sri Lanka proceed. This group will keep in view the recommendations of the peace committee relating to the safety and security of the inhabitants of the North-Eastern Province.

In view of the above, the process of de-induction of the IPKF, which recommenced on July 29, 1989, will be continued on the expeditious schedule. All efforts will be made to accelerate the de-induction by December 31, 1989.

The Indian side stated that the suspension of offensive military operations by the IPKF will come into effect at 6 a.m. on September 20, 1989. An observer group consisting of the Sri Lanka Army Commander and the GOC of the IPKF will report any violations of the cessation of hostilities and immediate consequential action taken, and recommend further remedial action to the President of Sri Lanka.

Sd/ Sd/-
L. L. Mehrotra B. P.Tilakaratne
High Commissioner for India Secretary to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka