Colombo, July 31 (Xinhua) The Sri Lankan government has closed down a peace secretariat that was set up to facilitate reconciliation talks with the Tamil Tiger rebels, an official said Friday.

The government had taken the decision to close down the secretariat by July end, Rajiva Wijesinghe, head of the office, told reporters.

He added that from now on the relevant government ministries would take forward the functions of the secretariat.

The peace secretariat was set up in 2003 to handle the Norwegian backed peace process between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The Sri Lankan troops defeated the LTTE in May ending an over 3O-year-old separatist war.