COLOMBO, Oct 31: Japanese envoy Yasushi Akashi has wrapped up talks with Sri Lankan government figures but is waiting to meet Tamil Tiger leaders in an effort to help salvage the island's peace process, officials said on Sunday.

Akashi who arrived late Wednesday, was due to travel to the rebel-held north on Sunday but had to put off his plans because the main guerrilla political wing leader, S.P. Thamilselvan, was still abroad, officials said.

They said Akashi was hopeful of meeting with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leadership before leaving the island on Tuesday as officials said they expected Thamilselvan to return from Europe by Monday.

Akashi met President Chandrika Kumaratunga Friday, a day after seeing Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and opposition political leaders from the Sri Lankan parliament.

"The president described to Mr. Akashi the recent developments in the peace process and the importance of beginning direct peace talks between the government and the LTTE as soon as possible," Kumaratunga's office said.

It said in a statement that Kumaratunga thanked Japan for its "generous assistance and support" to Sri Lanka's economic development and the consolidation of peace in the country.

Japan is Sri Lanka's largest single donor of aid and in recent years has taken a hands-on approach to support the Norwegian-backed process aimed at ending three decades of ethnic bloodshed that has claimed 60,000 lives.

Akashi's latest mission came as Tamil Tigers said they had not abandoned their right to secede despite agreeing to explore a federal solution during talks with Colombo in December 2002. Diplomats said Akashi could broach the subject with the LTTE leadership when he meets them.

The Tigers suspended their participation in direct negotiations in April last year describing six rounds of talks with the government as a "waste of time".

The LTTE insists that talks can resume based only on a proposal for an Interim Self-Governing Authority envisaging regional autonomy.-AFP