President Chandrika Kumaratunga assured yesterday that the Sri Lankan government will continue to pursue a lasting solution to the country’s ethnic conflict only through dialogue and not through war.

Speaking on ‘ Conflict Resolution and Peace Building: Lessons from Sri Lanka ’ at the Asia Society, New York, President Kumaratunga said peace has to be negotiated while safeguarding the territorial integrity and security of the State.

Addressing an audience comprising Sri Lankan expatriates, Asian and American media representatives, academic and business community, she said her government was of the view that a pluralist, democratic state was the need of the hour.

"The solution to our problem lies within an extensive form of devolution of power that involves a high level of democratic participation in decision making, law making and governance by the devolved units," the President said.

"We do not believe that dismemberment of Sri Lanka would in any way be a solution to the Tamil problem,” she added.

She praised the Norwegian government for its hard work and considerable success as facilitators for over 5 years.

Asked if the government was ready for a compromise with the LTTE to prevent the country being plunged back to war, President Kumaratunga said that the government had been extremely compromising to offer an extensive proposal for power sharing, nevertheless, the LTTE had refused to sit and talk.