Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, who visited Sri Lanka recently, is believed to have played a key role to ensure developed nations took a stand against Sri Lanka as the venue for the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2011, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported today.
According to the report Australia will host the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2011, probably in Perth, after Sri Lanka agreed to withdraw its offer to host.
CHOGM, a biennial summit involving 53 leaders from Commonwealth nations, traditionally discusses Commonwealth issues. But after 60 years of existence, a damning report by the Royal Commonwealth Society queried whether the alliance was still relevant and said it urgently needed to refocus its purpose.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister said the host city had not been decided.
But it is understood the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith, who played a big role in organising developed nations to take a stand against Sri Lanka as the venue, has proposed his home town of Perth because of its proximity to the Indian subcontinent.
Sri Lanka had offered to host the 2011 meeting back in 2007, but since then there has been a brutal civil war against the Tamil Tigers and international concern about human and civil rights infringements against the Tamil population who were displaced by the fighting, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported.
Sri Lanka has yet to officially react to the move by some countries including Britain, Canada and Australia who lobbied against the island at the ongoing session. Several government Ministers when contacted by Daily Mirror online refused to comment saying it was up to the Foreign Ministry to respond.
dm
hoda the kak dun na nan miniha ape path tha ta support karai
ITN eke kiwwe lankwe di nan na yanawa kiyala
australia dinala
According to the report Australia will host the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2011, probably in Perth, after Sri Lanka agreed to withdraw its offer to host.
CHOGM, a biennial summit involving 53 leaders from Commonwealth nations, traditionally discusses Commonwealth issues. But after 60 years of existence, a damning report by the Royal Commonwealth Society queried whether the alliance was still relevant and said it urgently needed to refocus its purpose.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister said the host city had not been decided.
But it is understood the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith, who played a big role in organising developed nations to take a stand against Sri Lanka as the venue, has proposed his home town of Perth because of its proximity to the Indian subcontinent.
Sri Lanka had offered to host the 2011 meeting back in 2007, but since then there has been a brutal civil war against the Tamil Tigers and international concern about human and civil rights infringements against the Tamil population who were displaced by the fighting, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported.
Sri Lanka has yet to officially react to the move by some countries including Britain, Canada and Australia who lobbied against the island at the ongoing session. Several government Ministers when contacted by Daily Mirror online refused to comment saying it was up to the Foreign Ministry to respond.
dm
hoda the kak dun na nan miniha ape path tha ta support karai
ITN eke kiwwe lankwe di nan na yanawa kiyala
australia dinala
