Vanuatu seeks Sri Lanka’s help to host CHOGM 2017

November 19, 2013

Moana Carcasses Kalosil, President of Vanuatu sought Sri Lanka’s support to organize CHOGM 2017 which the Pacific Island will be hosting when he met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Water’s Edge this afrenoon (Nov. 16). The Vanuatu President is in Colombo attending CHOGM 2013.

Congratulating President Rajapaksa for organizing the current CHOGM so well the Vanuatu President requested Sri Lanka to share its rich experience with his country to sucessfully organize the Meeting in 2017.

President Rajapaksa in response said that he is ready to help Vanuatu by way of sharing experience in organizing the flagship event of the Commonwealth. The President briefed him of the progress the country has made since the end of the conflict four years ago.

“I feel like home”, Kalosil said while describing Sri Lanka’s people as hospitable, friendly and smiling like his own people. Vanuatu has been twice rated as the world’s “happiest nation”.

President Kalosil said he was happy to see that Sri Lanka is on forward march after 30 years of misery. “We admire your leadership in guiding your country to prosperity. We assure you our full support”, he said.

A high level delegation including Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Edward Natapei accompanied the Vanuatu President.

Prof. G. L. Peiris, Minister of External Affairs, Sajin de Vaas Gunwardena, Monitoring MP to the Ministry of External Affairs, , Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President, ,Karunatilleke Amunugama, Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs and Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Asutralia, were also present at the discussion.