COLOMBO, May 27: Tamil Tiger rebels on Saturday agreed to visit Norway next month and discuss the monitoring of a shaky ceasefire with the Sri Lankan government, a decision likely to ease fears of the island nation sliding back into full-blown war.

Norwegian envoy Jon Hannsen-Bauer made the announcement after meeting Tamil Tiger leaders, S. P. Thamilselvan, Seevaratnam Puleedevan and P. Nadesan, for more than two hours in the rebel-held northern town of Kilinochchi.

“We have agreed here today that the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) will meet in Norway on June 8 and 9 to discuss the security and operations of the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission with the participation of the Sri Lankan government, if they also decide to participate,” the envoy told reporters.

The government welcomed the Tamil Tigers’ decision.

“The government is seriously considering the proposal from the government of Norway,” said Palitha Kohona, chief of the government’s secretariat.—AP