Sri Lanka to host Commonwealth Ministerial Meeting on Terrorism next year

Uditha Kumarasinhe, Irangika Range and Sandasen Marasinghe

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told parliament yesterday that the Commonwealth has accepted Sri Lanka's proposal to host the Commonwealth Ministerial Meeting on Terrorism in Colombo next year to address the new challenges posed by terrorism and for close cooperation between member States on terrorism.

The Minister speaking at the Committee Stage debate on his Ministry said at the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM), Sri Lanka's delegation led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa made a significant contribution which is reflected in the Uganda Communique. Sri Lanka also raised the issue, of the illegal trade of small arms and light weapons and called on member countries to look at ways to curb these terrorist activities, he said.

Bogollagama said the Sri Lankan offer to host the commonwealth heads of Government 2011 summit in Sri Lanka had been noted. It is important to note that Sri Lanka has also been nominated for a third consecutive term to the nine member Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), Sri Lanka has been the only country which had the honour of being appointed for a third term to this body.

On trade issues, Sri Lanka called on the Commonwealth members who represent the developed and developing world to commit themselves to a more conductive and meaningful engagement and to demonstrate goodwill and flexibility with the objective of concluding negotiations on the Doha Development recorded early.

The minister said Sri Lanka has consistently taken the position during the CMAG in New York in September and at the two subsequent meetings in London earlier this month and in Kampala, on the need to give greater space, for Pakistan to fulfil and realise its obligations in terms of the Commonwealth's Harare Doctrine.

The Minister said following the suspension of Pakistan, at the first Executive Session of the CHOGM, President Rajapaksa reiterated the issue at the following day at the Executive Session of the CHOGM and recorded Sri Lanka's Opposition.

"Sri Lanka will continue to press for CMAG to send a mission to Pakistan prior to the Parliamentary election and will ensure the early review of this suspension and return of Pakistan to the Commonwealth.

The Pakistan Government in a release issued on November 23 has appreciated the Sri Lankan Government's decision to disassociate itself from the CMAG's decision to suspend Pakistan from the Councils of the Commonwealth, the Minister said.

The Minister said Sri Lanka was re-elected to the Executive Board of UNESCO for a period of four years, securing 130 votes by the Sri Lankan candidate.

This victory underlines the continuous confidence placed by the international community on the foreign policy of the Government.

The campaign was spearheaded by the Foreign Ministry to solicit support for Sri Lanka's candidature.

This year, the Foreign Ministry has also pro-actively sought to re-focus global attention on the continuing terrorist challenge faced by Sri Lanka and given its wide global network, the challenge it poses to the International community at large.

As a result, there is a gradual dismantling of the global LTTE network. Key LTTE activists abroad are apprehended in the US, France, the UK, Australia and Canada, the Minister added.