PM's remarks on Lanka to be regarded as most important: envoy

New Delhi, Oct 16 (PTI) A day after Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh asked Sri Lanka to settle the ethnic issue
through dialogue, Colombo Thursday made it clear that it will
keep in mind his observations while dealing with the
situation.

"It will be presumptuous for me to comment on the Prime
Minister's statement. I have read about the statement in the
media. What I can say is that whatever the Prime Minister has
said it will be regarded as most important by Sri Lanka," High
Commissioner C.R.Jayasinghe told reporters on the sidelines of
a function here.

"This is in the spirit of the warm and friendly
relations between India and Sri Lanka," he said.

Jayasinghe comments came when he was asked to react to
Singh's statement Wednesday that the situation in the island
nation is a cause for "serious concern" and asked Colombo to
find a negotiated settlement rather than looking for a
"military victory".

Singh had also underlined that the human rights of
ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka must be respected.

Jayasinghe said India is "very dear" to the people of
Sri Lanka and rejected any notion of relationship between the
two neighbours coming under a strain.

Singh had Wednesday said the situation in the island
nation is a cause for "serious concern" and asked Colombo to
find a negotiated settlement rather than looking for a
"military victory".

Noting that Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic country, the
envoy insisted that the government treats all its citizens
equal.

Jayasinghe said sometimes problems may come up between
the two countries which share "very valuable links
geographically".

"Whatever the problems may come up it is the intention
of the people and the government of Sri Lanka to address any
of these issues keeping in mind the best interests of the
bilateral relationship," he said.

The Prime Minister's comments came amid mounting
pressure from Tamil political parties over the situation in
Sri Lanka.

An all-party meeting convened by the Tamil Nadu
government on Tuesday demanded that the Centre should act to
stop military offensive in Sri Lanka failing which all Members
of Parliament (M.P.s) from the state would quit within a
fortnight.

Jayasinghe parried questions on Indian fishermen being
allegedly targeted by the Sri Lankan Navy and about the
measures taken by the government in the island nation to end
the civilian casualties.