<b>Ranil-Piraba Meeting in the Offing – FLASH </b>

T.Sabaratnam

LTTE Advisor Anton Balasingham would return to Vanni early September, to prepare for direct talks with the government and the LTTE, in Thailand, Sudar Oli, a pro LTTE Tamil daily printed in Colombo said today.

It added that, unlike in April, when he flew to Vanni via Maldives in a seaplane, Balasingham would use this time the normal route, the Colombo International Airport.

Top-level LTTE sources have welcomed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s statement that, he is ready to meet LTTE chief Velupillai Pirabaharan and indicated that, the LTTE would consider receiving the Prime Minister in Vanni, if he indicates his desire to have the meeting in the Sri Lankan soil.

Sudar Oli quoted LTTE sources as saying, such a meeting is a possibility after Balasingham’s return to Vanni.

Planning Minister Milinda Moragoda had a surprise meeting with Balasingham in London on his way back from United States. The meeting was described as a breakthrough.

Meanwhile LTTE’s Ampara political organizer Visu told a meeting yesterday that, they are under strict orders from Pirabaharan not to do anything in violation of the Memorandum of Understanding, signed on February 23.