Inclusion of SL in CMAG agenda :
C’WEALTH RULES violated – GL
External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris made a strong case against
the inclusion of Sri Lanka as an agenda item at the meeting of the
Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) which is scheduled to be
held in London in April.
The minister said such a course of action is contrary to the
decisions taken by the Commonwealth Heads of Government at their meeting
in Perth, Western Australia in October 2011 regarding the mandate of
CMAG and the scope of its functions.
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External Affairs Minister Prof G L
Peiris with Commonwealth Secretary- General Kamalesh Sharma
in London on Tuesday |
He expressed these sentiments at discussions with Commonwealth
Secretary- General Kamalesh Sharma in London on Tuesday with the
upcoming meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government in Sri Lanka in
November this year.
Prof Peiris, who described to the Secretary-General the developments
in Sri Lanka during the last few months, emphasised the crucial need to
preserve the essential character of the Commonwealth as a “voluntary
association of sovereign states, characterised by a striking diversity
of cultures and outlook among the 54 states comprising the
organisation”.
He said any attempt to politicise the organisation or to permit its
structures and mechanisms to be used as instruments by some countries to
interfere in the domestic issues of other countries, would inevitably
distort the cultural ethos of the Commonwealth and pose significant
challenges with regard to its future.
Minister Peiris briefed the Secretary-General in detail about the
arrangements being made by the government to host the main conference in
Colombo as well as the Commonwealth Business Forum, the People’s Forum
and the Youth Forum which will be held in Hambantota.
Secretary- General Sharma told the minister that he was looking
forward to his visit to Sri Lanka and he was pleased with the
arrangements under way for the meeting of the heads of government.
He expressed satisfaction about Sri Lanka’s dialogue with Dr Mohan
Kaul regarding the Business Council which involves a focus on Sri Lanka
not only as a destination for investment but also as a trading and
knowledge hub. Prof Peiris briefed Sharma about the discussions which he
held in New Delhi last month regarding the summit, and in particular
about Sri Lanka’s support for the Secretary-General’s proposal with
regard to the establishment of a Commonwealth Bank for Trade and
Investment. Secretary-General Sharma was also briefed about the recent
visits to Sri Lanka by Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Senator
Robert Carr and Australia’s Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. Prof Peiris said Australia was sharing
with Sri Lanka the experience it had gained from successfully organising
the last meeting of the Heads of Government less than two years ago and
that this collaboration was greatly appreciated by Sri Lanka.
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