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News from Sri Lanka::


* Sri Lanka to host Commonwealth Parliamentary conference in 2012

Sat, Jul 30, 2011, 07:38 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

July 30, Colombo: At the conclusion of its 57th session, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has endorsed to hold the next year’s conference in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, who led the Sri Lankan delegation to this year’s session in London, was conferred the presidency of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

Addressing the five-day Conference attended by 600 delegates including 416 parliamentarians and Speakers of the Commonwealth member States, Speaker Rajapaksa has assured the attendees Sri Lanka’s customary warmth and hospitality when they arrive in Colombo for the 58th Session, an External Affairs Ministry statement said.

Conveying felicitations of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to all delegates, Speaker Rajapaksa has appealed to the Commonwealth community to extend their support to Sri Lanka in the country’s efforts to consolidate the hard-won peace, and to achieve prosperity and development.

He has commended the outgoing CPA President, the Speaker of the British Parliament John Bercow for hosting a successful conference and contributing to lift the CPA to greater heights as a vibrant forum of parliaments of diverse Commonwealth member states.

British Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague have addressed the closing ceremony.

Colombo has hosted the CPA Conference twice before in 1974 and 1995. Earlier this year Colombo hosted the 3rd Asian Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

As the host of the 2012 CPA conference Sri Lanka maintained an information desk at the venue.

Sri Lanka delegation led by Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa included Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva and Mahinda Samarasinghe, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe, and Members of Parliament Sudarshani Fernandopulle and M.A. Sumanthiran. Secretary General of the Parliament Dhammika Kithulgoda and Deputy Secretary General Dhammika Dassanayake participated as officials.