‘To the best of my knowledge, the TMVP has been invited by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to join the APRC deliberations and they have consented to participate in the process’, APRC chairman and Science and Technology Minister, Prof. Tissa Vitarana told ‘The Island’.

A TMVP decision to join the talks would pave the way for the JHU and MEP to re-join the APRC, since it was the position of these two parties that the TMVP too participates in the APRC deliberations, if they are to re-enter the process. Over the past two months, the JHU and the MEP kept away from the talks over the question of the TMVP’s participation, the Minister explained. ‘As soon as the TMVP joins the talks the JHU and the MEP would also do so’, he said.

The APRC chief also said that the APRC has been meeting every week over the months, although it could not do so this week on account of some practical difficulties.