President to meet Sonia Gandhi, L.K. Advani and Indian External Affairs Minister

Rohan MATHES in Dehradun/Uttaranchal

INDIA: Indian Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee will call on President Mahinda Rajapaksa tomorrow morning at the Maurya Sheraton Hotel in New Delhi.

The Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance, Sonia Gandhi and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani are also expected to call on President Rajapaksa later in the day at the same venue.

The talks are to be focused on bi-lateral issues between the two countries, the Comphrensive Economic Participation Agreement (CEPA) and the FTA among others. Talks on the resumption of the Norwegian brokered, stalled peace process is also expected to be taken up at these meetings.

Last Saturday, President Rajapaksa was greeted on arrival at the Indira Ghandhi International (IGI) Airport by Indian Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mani Shankar Aiyar and State Minister for Fertilzer and Chemicals N. Handick.

President Rajapaksa yesterday addressed the inaugural session of the First Asian Mayors' Conference there at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) AMN GHOSH Auditorium in Dehradun.

The President also laid the foundation stone for the "Indo-Lanka Human Rights Centre for the South Asian Countries" yesterday and addressed the gathering there, after releasing the book on "Capacity Building of Women in Local Governance-Handbook".