Norway and Sri Lanka were reluctant to reveal the details of the meeting

Rajapaksa who is in Geneva to attend the annual conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) had a one-to-one meeting with Norwegian minister Erik Solheim.

Both parties were tight lipped over the outcome of the meeting, BBC's Priyath Liyanage who is covering the President's visit told BBC Sandeshaya.

Stalled peace process

Ministers Mahinda Samarasinghe, Douglas Devananda and Keheliya Rambukwella and President's Secretary Lalith Weeratunga earlier accompanied Rajapaksa in the closed-door meeting.

	President delivered the keynote speech at ILO conference

President meeting with Norwegian peace delegation which included special envoy Jon Hanssen Bauer is seen as another attempt to kick start the stalled peace process, Priyath Liyanage says.

On Friday morning President Rajapaksa reiterated that his government would not "bow down to terrorism".

"Terrorism has no place in the contemporary world. As a government, we are not prepared to, at any cost to, bow down to terrorism" he told the ILO conference.

Delivering the keynote speech at the end of the ILO conference, the Sri Lankan leader said his country has worked hard to improve the conditions for workers.

Rajapaksa was introduced by the ILO officials as the minister who introduced Workers Charter in Sri Lanka.

Workers Charter

Under pressure from the government and the employers, Rajapaksa abandoned his plan to introduce the Charter when he was the Labour Minister in Chandrika Kumaratunga government.

Sri Lankan Trade Union leaders who were attending at the conference were divided over the importance of the Charter.

Terrorism has no place in the contemporary world. As a government, we are not prepared to, at any cost to, bow down to terrorism President Rajapaksa

DW Subasinghe, General Secretary Sri Lanka Trade Union federation said that it is "not important" to implement the Workers Charter.

"And the President explained that it is difficult to implement it as the war expenditure is sky rocketing," Subasinghe told Priyath Liyanage.

Palitha Athukorale, Chief Organiser of Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya said the war is not an impediment to implement the Charter if Rajapaksa is genuinely interested in it.