External Affairs Minister Mr. S.M. Krishna will meet the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa today morning and have formal discussions on issues of mutual interest to both countries. The issue of political solution to the ethnic problem, including devolution of power, is also likely to come up for talks between the two leaders.

In his meeting with the leaders of the Tamil National Alliance, the External Affair Minister assured the Tamil delegation that India was firmly committed to ensuring political settlement, including devolution of powers, to address the aspirations of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka. He has also indicated that issue will be discussed with the highest levels of the Sri Lanka Government.

The leaders of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) met Krishna on Monday evening ahead of their talks with the Rajapaksa Government on the devolution package. The TNA-Government talks are scheduled for January 17, 18 and 19.

Later in the day, Krishna will meet his counterpart GL Peires and hold wide ranging discussions with him on bilateral issues. Five Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) will be signed, including that of construction of the remaining 49,000 houses for the internally displaced people in former war-zone.

Krishna is also scheduled to visit the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial in Colombo today and pay homage to the soldiers, who laid their lives between 1987 and1990 during the peace keeping operations in Sri Lanka. He will also call on the Sri Lankan Prime Minister DM Jayaratne.

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna reached Colombo on a four-day visit to Sri Lanka on Monday.