President meets Qatari, Ugandan, Palestinian Heads of State:

Palestinian President hails SL’s progress

President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is in New York to attend the 66th UN General Assembly sessions met Heads of State of Qatar, Uganda and Palestine on the sidelines of the summit on Thursday.

During the meetings, President Rajapaksa briefed the Heads of State about the progress achieved by Sri Lanka in the socio-economic fields following the total eradication of terrorism and the massive development programmes underway in the country.

A President’s Media Division media release said President Rajapaksa also apprised the Heads of State about the progress of the demining programme in the North and East and the re-settlement of people in their places of origin.

Emir of Quatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa expressed the willingness of his government to invest in Sri Lanka in the agriculture and tourism sectors. President Rajapaksa held bilateral talks with Uganda’s Vice President Edward Ssekandi on several matters important for both countries.During the discussions Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas complimented President Mahinda Rajapaksa for rendering a great service towards the progress and welfare of Sri Lanka. External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunge, President’s Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath and Sri Lanka’s Permanent representative in the UN Dr Palitha Kohona were also associated in the discussions.