Eric Solheim on mission

Solheim, who's the head of the Norwegian mediating team, said there was a need to stabilise the ceasefire which had seen a number of violations in the recent past.

He will meet both the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse and the rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

There's been growing international concern over a recent upsurge in violence in the country; the government has extended a national state of emergency declared last year.