Clinton vows to work on Sri Lanka impasse

CHENNAI, India, July 20 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in Chennai, India, said officials are looking for ways to end the impasse between the Sri Lankan government and rebels.

Clinton, who visited with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Wednesday, said the United States was reviewing creative ideas to break the stalemate and enable Tamils now in camps to return to their homes, NDTV reported.

Even though fighting between government troops and rebels ended two years ago, Jayalalithaa said Sri Lankan Tamils in the Jaffna area were in camps and unable to return to their homes. She said the refugees have access to facilities available to local citizens, NDTV said.

Jayalalithaa also raised concern about the reduction of H1B visas, even though the U.S. consulate in Chennai, in terms of number of visas issued, was the second largest in the world, NDTV reported.

Both of them also discussed social, political and economic issues of common interest, officials said.

Clinton is leading a high-level, 25-member delegation to India, visiting several cities.