Sri Lankan government and Tamil rebel negotiators ended four days of peace talks today with the clearest picture yet they are on track to end one of Asia's longest-running conflicts.
They agreed to set up three committees to overlook rehabilitation needs in war-hit areas, push military de-escalation and look at political questions at the heart of the 19-year-old war that has killed 64,000 people.
"The parties demonstrated a positive, pragmatic and conciliatory approach in discussing a wide range of issues, including present challenges as well as matters related to long-term solutions," a Norwegian government statement said.
Norway has helped bring the two sides to the negotiating table after they signed a ceasefire in February.