The European Union, Japan, Norway and the United States, co-chairs of Sri Lanka?s donors? group, expressed grave concern on Friday about the worsening situation in the country and condemned recent violence.

More than 40 people have died in the past week in the bloodiest spell since a 2002 truce, leading many diplomats to fear talks scheduled for next week would be cancelled and that the island?s two-decade civil war would resume.

The donors? group urged the Colombo government and the Tamil Tiger rebels to uphold commitments made in Geneva in February and immediately end violence, killings, and armed operations, and stick to a plan to meet again in Geneva from April 19-21.

The Geneva meeting provided an important opportunity to find ways to implement a Ceasefire agreement and commitments made at the previous meeting, they said in a statement released by the European Commission.

?The co-chairs also strongly encourage the parties to build confidence and an environment conducive for progressing toward lasting peace for all Sri Lankans,? the statement said.

<B>Logistical problems</B>

The LTTE, whose struggle for an ethnic Tamil homeland in the Sri Lanka?s north and east has killed more than 64,000 people on both sides, say they want the Geneva talks delayed by several days until after April 22.

The government says that would cause logistical problems and is still keen to stick to the original dates.

The co-chairs of the donors? group they four would meet in Tokyo on April 24 to review the situation and the peace process.