(1 Aug 08 - RV) Security was stepped up in the Sri Lankan capital Columbo today ahead
of a weekend summit.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation,
or Saarc, meeting has been taking place in the capital for the last week and will
culminate with high level talks tomorrow and Sunday.
The Tamil Tiger rebels
offered a cease-fire for the event, but the government rejected it as a ploy by the
rebels to regroup after recent battlefield losses.
The summit will focus on
cooperation regarding economic matters and terrorism.
But Executive Director
of the National Peace Council Jehan Perera says that progress on these issues is unlikely.