Website for Commonwealth Summit 2013 goes live

The website www.chogm2013.lk, which will provide information relating to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Sri Lanka in the month of November, was launched yesterday.

Speaking at the occasion, Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L.Peiris said that holding of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka was a victory achieved by all Sri Lankans.  He said that this was the first time that an Asian country had received the opportunity of hosting the Commonwealth Summit.  He said that heads of governments and foreign ministers from 53 countries and high-ranking officials would attend the November meeting.



The Minister said that this would be the major international summit that would be held in Sri Lanka after the 1976 Non Aligned Summit.  He said that Queen Elizabeth would be represented at the summit by Prince of Wales and all arrangements for the summit were being organised under the leadership of Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne.  

He said that a committee had been appointed under the chairmanship of Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga to oversee the comprehensive arrangements and 15 other committees had been appointed to look into security, transport, media and other aspects.  

Prof. Peiris also said that the theme of the summit, ‘Economic Development and Social Equality,’ had been derived from the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’.

Minister of Mass Media and Information Keheliya Rambukwella, Deputy Minister of External Affairs Neomal Perera, Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media and Information Dr. Charita Herath and Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs Karunatilleke Amunugama and several others attended the launch.