President Rajapaksa says he is ready to 'trust' the Tamil Tigers

Both sides agreed earlier this week to take part in talks in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, in October.

President Rajapaksa on talks and killing of aid workers

Rajapakse told the BBC in Havana that he hoped the talks would restore peace despite the breakdown of the 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA).

Political solution

"I am going to give them (LTTE) a solution. They have to trust me. I have to trust them," the president told BBC's Roger Harvey in Havana.

"We can say that we cannot trust them. But we have to trust them, at least".

I am going to give them (LTTE) a solution. They have to trust me. I have to trust them President Rajapaksa

The government is discussing with the political parties in the south on a solution to the national question, Rajapaksa added.

"The South has to get together. If the South is divided we won’t be able to give them a solution."

Aid workers' killing

He also said he would set up an independent investigation into the deaths of seventeen aid workers who were shot at close range in August in the north-eastern district of Trincomalee.

"I have invited the international community to send in observers. I am very concerned about the human rights work," the president added.

International truce monitors in Sri Lanka concluded that they were killed by government troops, but the government rejects this.

norwegian facilitators say they are discussing with the parties on the venue and the date of the proposed talks.