President meets Khaleda Zia, UNDP chief

Sri Lanka will field a candidate for the post of UN Secretary General to be vacant in December next year, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga told Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

The President who held one to one discussions with Zia at the UN Headquarters, reconfirmed participation in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) scheduled to be held in Dhaka in November.

The President thanked Zia for Bangladesh's assistance after the December tsunami. They also discussed strengthening of the United Nations. President Kumaratunga also met Kemal Dervis who assumed office as the UNDP Administrator in May this year.

The President congratulated the former Turkish Finance Minister and senior World Bank official and wished him success in his new UN role.

President Kumaratunga thanked the UNDP for the assistance to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster and its continued support and involvement in Sri Lanka's recovery from the natural disaster. Ceylon Workers' Congress leader Arumugam Thondaman was also present.