Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels are eager to resume stalled peace talks but face-to-face negotiations are unlikely to take place soon and will be difficult, a Norwegian peace envoy said.
The separatist minority rebels and government forces agreed to a cease-fire in 2002 and several rounds of peace talks were held before the rebels suspended the negotiations, saying they were unhappy with the pace of reconstruction in their zones.
"No one should expect a resumption tomorrow or in the near future, and even if they resume everyone should realise it will be tough, hard bargaining," Erik Solheim told reporters late on Tuesday.
"Both parties realise a lot of work has to be done first."
Solheim said meetings this week with President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Tamil Tiger representatives were constructive, with both sides re-affirming their commitment to the Norwegian-brokered cease-fire.
The talks were suspended last year amid a bitter power struggle between Kumaratunga and the country's then prime minister, partly over the peace process.
Kumaratunga's party won elections last month but only managed to form a minority government, raising doubts about whether it has enough backing to revive the peace process or pass supporting laws if a deal is reached.
Kumaratunga, who was blinded in one eye by a Tiger assassination attempt in 1999, is expected to take a harder line in negotiations than the previous government, which she accused of conceding too much to the rebels.
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