India, US get talking on Lanka

Rejecting the possibility of any military solution, Pickering, who had wide-ranging consultations with Mansingh, said Washington supported any constructive role by India in Sri Lanka.

On persistent questions whether any evacuation of beleaguered Sri Lankan troops was imminent, Mansingh told reporters that so far there has been no no request from Colombo in this regard, adding that according to reports with New Delhi heavy fighting was still raging between government forces and LTTE.

The top US official, who also held discussions with Defence Minister George Fernandes, said quot;everything must be done to avert a humanitarian catastrophequot; in Jaffna peninsula. quot;Humanitarian considerations are paramount in the current situation to avoid innocent civilians being caught in the cross-fire,quot; he said.

Pickering said the US was watching the situation in the island nation carefully and was supporting the Norwegian role to broker peace, which, he maintained, was at a quot;highly developedquot; stage.

Both New Delhi and Washington made it clear that they favoured a peaceful settlement in Jaffna keeping in view the aspirations of all communities on the island.

At the joint press conference, Mansingh said quot;We would be willing to extend humanitarian aid if soughtquot; by Colombo.

The remarks by the Foreign Secretary and the US Under Secretary of State came after the Norwegian special envoy Eric Solheim told reporters quot;all different options are therequot; following his hour-long meeting with Mansingh.

Asked whether he was hopeful that New Delhi would play a role in Sri Lankan crisis in the next 48 hours, Solheim said quot;I am always hopeful but I will not give a time predictionquot;.

On talks with Mansingh on the evolving situation in Jaffna, the Norwegian envoy said quot;we have informed India what we are doing. And they have informed us about their planning and thinkingquot;.

Replying to questions on his parleys with Solheim, who is returning to Oslo, Mansingh said the special envoy briefed New Delhi on his two days of talks with the Sri Lankan Government and political leaders in that country.

Both the US official and Mansingh said Washington and New Delhi had nothing to do with LTTE which has been declared a terrorist organisation by the US and was banned in India.

The Foreign Secretary parried all questions on preparations by Indian armed forces regarding possible evacuation of Sri Lankan troops.

During the two rounds of Foreign Office consultations between Mansingh and Pickering, the two sides discussed various bilateral, regional and international issues of bilateral concern and interest.

Pickering8217;s visit is part of regular Foreign Office exchanges on Asian security flowing from the Vision Statement signed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and US President Bill Clinton in March last.

Pickering would be meeting National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra and leader of Opposition Sonia Gandhi tomorrow.

He would fly to Pakistan tomorrow evening and then travel to Colombo for talks with the Sri Lanka authorities.