President's efforts for peace will succeed - Swami Ravishankar

INDIA: President Mahinda Rajapaksa has a commitment towards achieving peace and his efforts will bear fruit very soon, said His Holiness Swami Sri Ravishankar, a Hindu religious dignitary of the Kala Ashram in Chennai, India.

The Swami was addressing the final session of the International Women's Conference held a Bangalore, India.

Swami Ravishankar said that Sri Lanka and India had very close cultural ties, with similar values on ethics and human aspirations. For this reason the mutual respect for each other among Indians and Sri Lankans prevailed at a high level.

Stating there were no differences in the cultural bonds that existed between the women and Sri Lanka and India, Swami Ravishankar said the activities of the LTTE had caused considerable hardship to the people of Sri Lanka, particularly to women and children.

He said President Rajapaksa treated the people of the North and South with equal concern, and appreciated the vision of the President for peace and harmony in the country.

The conference was attended by nearly 4,000 delegates from 100 countries. First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa addressed the conference on the situation of women in the developing world.