'Desire for peace with Tigers had not been diminished'

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, cabinet spokesman, said that the position of the government is that its desire for a negotiated settlement and to enter dialogue with the LTTE had not been diminished by the EU decision.

He said that the government was ready to enter into talks with the Tigers at any time.

The LTTE has however expressed their shock at the EU decision. Leader of the LTTE political wing, SP Tamilselvan, told the BBC that the EU ban could effectively hamper the peace process.

Earlier this week, the EU issued a strongly-worded statement banning LTTE delegations from visiting EU capitals and saying it was considering formally listing the Tigers as a terrorist organisation.

The EU condemned "the continuing use of violence and terrorism" by the Tamil Tigers, in particular the "shocking" assassination of the foreign minister.