President Mahinda Rajapakse had a meeting with India’s High Commissioner in Colombo, Mr. Alok Prasad, last Tuesday when he clarified some of India’s concerns about the on-going military offensive in the Vanni, Mr.Basil Rajapakse revealed.

Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapakse said in an interview that the President, at the meeting with the High Commissioner, made clear that the government will endeavour to address all India’s justifiable concerns.

The meeting between the president and the envoy followed the summoning of Sri Lanka’s Deputy High Commissioner Palitha Ganegoda in New Delhi to the Indian External Affairs Ministry where National Security Advisor N.K. Narayan expressed India’s concerns about growing civilian casualties in the war and called for greater restraint by the army.

Narayan had also said that Sri Lanka should revive the ``political process’’ in what was interpreted to mean the peace process.

Rajapakse said in the interview that the government had gained wide experience in avoiding civilian casualties during the liberation of the Eastern Province. Also, humanitarian issues like food supplies, medicine, clean drinking water, sanitary facilities and shelter for IDPs displaced from their homes in conflict areas in the North had been addressed.

"If there are a few things that need to be actually done, we will take necessary action to address the justifiable concerns of the Indian government," he said.

In the course of the interview, Rajapakse also said he considered the JVP a ``progressive and patriotic party committed to safeguard the national interest," although they could not agree with some of that party’s recent decisions that had proved harmful to the national interest.

He said that the government regarded the JVP as a "friendly political party" and although they had separated today, they would continue to treat them as such.

Asked for his comments on allegations made against the government over Maj. Gen. Janaka Perera’s assassination, and the claim that there had been an effort to get him into the government, Rajapakse confirmed there was an effort to get him into the govt. ``to utilize his abilities for the good of the nation.’’

Paying a warm tribute to the general as a man who had rendered exceptional service to the nation, an independent investigation was now on, the PM had made a statement to parliament and he cannot go beyond that.