Sri Lanka-SAARC-Terrorism
The South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit scheduled to be held in Colombo next month would focus on evolving a combined strategy to combat terrorism, said Mahinda Rajapakse.

"All SAARC countries would discuss and develop a new combined strategy to combat terrorism at the summit to be held from August 2-3," Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse, who was in Tirupati a city of Andhra Pradesh state to worship at Hindu shrine told reporters, Indian official media reported here.

He said elaborate security measures would be taken for the summit but at the same time some VVIPs would attend the summit with their own security personnel.

Recent reports said Indian security personnel would provide security cover for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to Colombo to attend the summit.

Rebutting criticism on allowing security personnel from other countries, Rajapakse said he has come to Tirupati with his own security men even though heavy security arrangements had been made by the Indian government.

Rajapakse described India as a great developing country and Sri Lanka maintained relations with it on all fronts.

On the LTTE, Rajapakse said that his government was firmly committed to holding talks with the LTTE provided they give up arms.

He charged the Tamil militant group for indulging in terrorist activities killing "tens of thousands of innocent people".

Ever since Rajapkse became President in November 2005, his government has held peace talks with LTTE but during the ceasefire too the LTTE started indulging in killings in the Island putting a question mark on the credibility of the peace talks, Rajapakse said.

During his two-day stay here, he visited the temple and later left for Bangalore.