ICAPP Updates
ICAPP Update (13-31) Dear Members of the ICAPP Standing Committee, As we've informed you by ICAPP Update (13-27) of June 27, 2013, I visited Sri Lanka during July 4-5 and had meetings with the leaders of both the governing Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the opposition United National Party(UNP). And the following is my brief report on the results of the visit. First, meetings with the leaders of SLFP were separately held with H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa, President and Leader of SLFP, Hon. G.L.Peiris, Minister of External Affairs, Hon. Maithripala Sirisena, Minister of Health and General Secretary of SLFP, and Hon. Nimal Siripala de Silva, Leader of the House of Parliament and Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management. The leaders of SLFP all expressed their strong support for the activities of the ICAPP and agreed to host of the 8th General Assembly of the ICAPP in Colombo in September 2014. President Rajapaksa designated Minister of External Affairs as the focal point to discuss details regarding preparations for the 8th GA, and agreed in principle to follow the traditions of the ICAPP as the host of the GA, including providing local accommodations for up to two representatives for each delegation. It was agreed that other details, including the exact dates for the GA, will be worked out between the Minister of External Affairs and the Secretary General of the ICAPP. In addition, it was agreed that the representative of SLFP would participate in the 21st Meeting of the ICAPP Standing Committee in November as a Special Participant and make an initial presentation on how to organize the 8th GA in close coordination with the ICAPP Secretariat. It was also agreed that SLFP would closely coordinate and cooperate with all political parties in Sri Lanka in the process of preparations for the GA. In particular, an idea was suggested during the consultations that the two main political parties of Sri Lanka, the SLFP and the UNP, co-host the event as was the case in 2006. Second, the meeting at the headquarters of the UNP was attended, on the Sri Lankan side, by Hon. Ranil Wickremasinghe, Leader of UNP, Hon. Tissa Attanayke, General Secretary, Hon. Daya Dharmapala Gamage, National Organizer, and three other Members of Parliament. They all welcomed the decision by the SLFP to host the 8th GA, and agreed to fully support to make the GA successful. They also expressed their hope to be invited to the 21st SC Meeting as a Special Participant together with the representative of the SLFP. Warm regards, Chung Eui-yong Co-Chairman of the Standing Committee |