Islamic organisation postpones visit to Sri Lanka due to presidential election
Saturday, 27 December 2014 00:00
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A scheduled visit of an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) team to Colombo to prepare for its secretary-general’s visit to Sri Lanka has been postponed due to the 8 January presidential elections, Arab News reported quoting sources from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh.
OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani was to visit Sri Lanka early next year on an invitation from President Mahinda Rajapaksa and an advance team of four members from the OIC was to visit the island in preparation for the secretary general’s visit.
President Rajapaksa invited Madani to visit Sri Lanka when they met on the sidelines of the 69th United Nations General Assembly in New York in September this year.
This was the first time that arrangements for such a high-level visit from the OIC were announced six weeks ago, embassy sources said.
Sri Lankan ambassador Mohammed Hussein Mohamed met Madani in Jeddah to discuss the program of the secretary-general’s visit to Colombo.
The four-member delegation from the OIC was expected to plan the secretary-general’s program in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs.
During his visit, in addition to meeting the President, Madani is expected to meet with religious organisations in the country to get firsthand knowledge of the current position of the minorities in the island.
Sri Lanka has applied for observer status in the 57-member Jeddah-based Islamic organisation.
Earlier, the OIC expressed its concerns over the escalating ethnic tensions in Sri Lanka, which has affected the Muslim community and its businesses on the island.
During his meeting with Madani in New York, Sri Lankan President assured the OIC secretary general that his government will take immediate action to deal with any incidents against the Muslim community.
