"The security forces and police are now engaged in a successful mission to liberate people in the North from LTTE clutches. There is no doubt that the Government would be able to achieve this objective and provide relief to the people in the North this year", he said in his New Year message.

"We should recall the liberation of the East from LTTE clutches, creation of an environment for its people to live in freedom and launching of development work as a significant achievement", Wickramanayake said.

He said the government had not compromised on economic development effort despite the LTTE attacks.

"No other Government had matched the massive development work undertaken by the present Government in such a short time", he said adding the ‘large amount of foreign aid last year’ also helped in this direction.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa had succeeded in obtaining oil at concession rates and assistance for several other projects from the Iranian Government, the Prime Minister said.