SL hopes Canadian PM will attend CHOGM

Claiming that Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird has confirmed his participation in the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo, Sri Lanka yesterday ex

pressed hope that

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper would also confirm his participation at the CHOGM.

“About 85 per cent of the participants from 54 Commonwealth countries including Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird have confirmed their attendance at the CHOGM. We hope the Canadian Premier will also confirm his participation once the other Commonwealth Leaders confirm their participation,” External Affairs Monitoring MP Sajin Vaas Gunawardane told media heads at Temple Trees.

He said the host country would only bear the expenses of the Heads of State, Foreign Ministers and Foreign Ministry Secretaries. “The expenses of the other delegates will have to borne by themselves or by their respective countries,” he said.

He said at least

About 85 per cent of the participants from 54 Commonwealths countries including Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird have confirmed their attendance at the CHOGM The host country will bear the expenses of the Heads of State, Foreign Ministers and Foreign Ministry Secretaries. The others will have to bear the expenses themselves

6,500 hotel rooms would be required to accommodate the foreign delegates including foreign businessmen or women. “From this exercise we can earn seven to ten billion rupees,” Mr. Gunawardane said.

‘Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundare said the government has decided not to purchase any vehicles for Ministries, Corporations, the Bank of Ceylon and other Stateowned institutions this year because we are hoping to release the vehicles imported for use at the CHOGM, once the meeting is over,” he said.