Sri Lanka receives peace aid

Sri Lanka has been promised more aid next year

International donors have pledged up to $70m in immediate humanitarian aid, and also offered political support, for Sri Lanka's peace process.

At a "peace support" conference in Oslo, host Norway said the promised money indicated there would be larger pledges at a donor meeting in Japan next year.

"We had a very, very promising signal of confidence in the Sri Lankan peace process from the international donors," Norway's deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen said.

He declined to give a breakdown of who pledged what at the meeting attended by 37 countries, but said $60m to $70m will be available over the next "six to eight months".

"In every aspect the outcome far exceeded our expectations," said Sri Lanka's chief peace negotiator GL Peiris.

More money

Japan - Sri Lanka's largest single foreign aid donor - said it was preparing for a major aid conference at the end of spring next year in Tokyo.

In a declaration the donors said they "pledge to support their efforts with financial assistance to the people of Sri Lanka and continued encouragement to the parties in their search for a lasting peace through a negotiated final solution of the conflict".

Before the meeting, Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the chief negotiator of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Anton Balasingham met for the first time.

The peace process took a major leap forward earlier this year when the Tamil Tigers agreed to give up their demand for a separate state and instead accept regional autonomy.

More than 60,000 people have been killed in two decades of civil war that has ravaged the economy.

The next round of peace talks are in Oslo from 2 to 5 December.