COLOMBO, Feb. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- The Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels will meet in Geneva on Feb. 22 and 23 for truce talks, Daily News reported Tuesday.

    "The parties to the conflict in Sri Lanka, the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, have asked Norway to facilitate talks in Geneva, Switzerland, from Feb. 22 to 23," the Norwegian embassy in Sri Lanka said in a statement Monday night.

    The talks will focus on strengthening the cease-fire agreement signed by the two parties on Feb. 22, 2002, it said.

    "The parties will discuss how they can improve the implementation of the cease-fire agreement. This is the first timein three years that the parties meet face-to-face at such a high level," the Norwegian statement said.

    Peace talks were suspended in April 2003 after six rounds, but the cease-fire continued, it said.

    "It is very positive that the parties have agreed to meet at high level to discuss how to improve the serious security situation," Erik Solheim, International Development Minister of Norway, was quoted from the statement by the paper as saying.

    "Norway, in its role as facilitator, will do its best to help the parties find a practical solution to relieve the pressure the cease-fire has come under," he said.

    Solheim said the negotiations would be tough, adding that "the parties are taking a small but very significant step towards putting the peace process back on a positive track."

    Solheim, who held crucial talks on Jan. 25 with the rebel LTTE's leader of Velupillai Prabakaran, had achieved the breakthrough to hold direct talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE in Geneva, but the exact date of the talks was not fixed at that time.

    The cease-fire has come under increasing strain in recent months, following a series of attacks on the Security Forces in the north and east. Enditem