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Sri Lanka government and Tamil rebels agree to ceasefire

The Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels have formally entered into a ceasefire agreement.

It's the first step towards the start of peace talks as South Asia correspondent Jonathan Harley reports.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe handed over his government's acceptance of a memorandum of understanding with the Tamil Tigers in the northern frontline town of Vavuniya. The Norwegian-brokered deal is the first bilateral truce in seven years and paves the way for direct peace talks after two decades of civil war. Mr Wickremesinghe's decision to visit Vavuniya, which sits close to rebel territory, indicates confidence that the peace process is making significant progress. Despite the optimism, security for the Prime Minister's visit is extremely tight. The ceasefire agreement enters into force tomorrow.

23/02/2002 05:50:54 | ABC Radio Australia News

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