Ministers Peiris and Karunanayake are in Washington for Trade and Investment Framework Agreement meetings with the U.S. Trade Representatives. Minister Peiris has come directly to Washington from Japan where the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE have just concluded the sixth round of peace talks. Minister Peiris briefed the Deputy Secretary on the talks. The Deputy Secretary reiterated his strong support for the peace process and said that he was pleased with the continued progress in the talks and with both sides' determination to move forward.

The Deputy Secretary told Minister Peiris that he was looking forward to hosting a seminar to brief potential donor countries and organizations about Sri Lanka on April 14 in Washington. He also expressed hope for positive results on June 9-12 when the Japanese will host an international donor's conference for Sri Lanka. The United States hopes that the negotiating process will lead to a permanent end to the Sri Lankan conflict based on the principles of democracy, respect for human rights, and territorial integrity of the nation.