The Sri Lankan prime minister has held talks with the Tamil Tiger rebels' chief negotiator for the first time in more than a decade.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe met Anton Balasingham in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, on the eve of an international donors' conference in the city aimed at raising funds for Sri Lanka.

The two leaders smiled and shook hands in front of reporters before their meeting, which lasted more than an hour.

Later Mr Balasingham described the talks as "very constructive" and said they had consolidated the peace process.

Commitment

Mr Wickramasinghe said there would have to be, from time to time, "many more meetings like this".

It was a constructive meeting with a good and frank tone

Vidar Helgesen Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister

It was the highest-level meeting between the two sides in the civil war since failed peace talks 12 years ago.

The BBC's Lars Bevanger in Oslo says the two sides appear eager to signal their commitment to the Norwegian-sponsored peace process.

The two leaders were originally due to meet on the sidelines of the donors' conference on Monday, but the talks were unexpectedly brought forward.

A third round of peace talks is scheduled to take place in Oslo at the start of next month.

More than 60,000 people have died in Sri Lanka's 19 years of civil conflict.

Norwegian role

The present ceasefire - brokered by Norway - came into effect in February this year and peace talks started in September.

Negotiators hope conflict can make way for development

Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen also attended the Oslo meeting on Sunday.

He said the talks covered the security situation and financial aid, especially for displaced people.

"It was a constructive meeting with a good and frank tone," Mr Helgesen added.

The party of Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga had earlier condemned government plans to attend the conference with the Tamil Tigers.

Ban on Tigers

The opposition People's Alliance fears the conference may prompt Western nations to lift their bans on the guerrillas.

The Tamil Tigers are outlawed as a terrorist group in the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia and India.

More than 10 other countries, including Britain, Japan and France, are expected at the conference.

Sri Lanka's Government lifted its ban on the Tigers in September in order to begin peace talks to end the civil war.

Sri Lanka, whose economy saw its worst-ever contraction last year, needs $500m over the next five years to rebuild, analysts say.

The Tamil Tigers have been fighting to carve out a homeland for Sri Lanka's minority Tamils in the island's north and east.

Two rounds of peace talks have already been held in Thailand.