By Elmo Fernando BBC Sinhala service

	TNA leader says there should be a solution that does not divide Sri Lanka

R Sampanthan, the leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), stressed the importance of resettling nearly 300,000 displaced people as soon as possible.

Visiting British parliamentarian Liam Fox and the TNA agreed on the importance of the issue, he told BBC Sandeshaya.

“There should be a solution based upon which all communities in Sri Lanka can live in harmony without dividing the country,” Mr. Sampanthan said.

He added that the TNA, widely regarded as a pro-LTTE political party, expressed its willingness to help the president to find out such a political solution.

There should be a solution based upon which all communities in Sri Lanka can live in harmony without dividing the country   TNA leader, R Sampanthan

A senior leader of the conservative Party and a member of the British shadow cabinet has met the president and the TNA leader in Colombo.

“Noting that the president has changed and made some progress, Mr. Fox requested us to help him to progress more towards resolving the national question. We said that we are prepared,” Mr. Sambanthan said.

Liam Fox brokered a deal between Sri Lanka’s main political parties to share information on resolving the issue during Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga presidency.

Expressing regret that it did not work out, Mr. Fox has observed that things might have been completely different had the parties honoured the agreement.

He has, however, noted that the UK government is willing to help President Rajapaksa to resolve the national issue, according to the TNA leader.