STOCKHOLM, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Norwegian government expressed its regret at Sri Lankan government's decision to terminate the 2002 cease-fire agreement, according to a statement published by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry on its website on Wednesday.

    The termination of the agreement would primarily affect the Nordic Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), as its mandate was setout in the agreement and it may therefore be necessary to withdraw the mission, the statement said.

    This would weaken efforts to protect the civilian population, which would be most regrettable, Norwegian Environment and International Development Minister Erik Solheim said in the statement.

    He added that he was deeply concerned that the violence and hostilities would now escalate even further in Sri Lanka.

    In 2000, Norway was formally invited by Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels to act as facilitator for the peace process in the country. On Feb. 22, 2002 the two sides concluded a cease-fire agreement by the facilitation of Norway.

    Following the signing of the cease-fire agreement, the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE rebels held eight rounds of peace talks but failed to make any tangible progress. Since the incumbent President Mahinda Rejapakse came to power in November 2005, fighting between the government troops and the LTTE rebels, who seeks an independent Tamil homeland in the north and east of the country, escalated despite the cease-fire agreement.

    The conflict between the two sides erupted in 1983 and the more-than-two-decade bloody fight has so far claimed more than 70,000 lives and severely hampered the development of the tiny island country's economy and social progress.