President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been invited to participate at the British Monarch Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee on her ascension to the throne.
The President will also undertake a visit to the United Kingdom from 3 June on a four-day visit.
Sources from the British High Commission in Colombo confirmed the visit, but added they were unable to confirm whether Rajapaksa would be meeting with any government officials during the tour.
“This is not a state visit,” an official from the British High Commission in Colombo added.
President Rajapaksa last visited the United Kingdom in 2010 amidst protests from pro-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam groups, and was scheduled to address the Oxford Union.
A statement by the Oxford Union in 2010 said that "due to the sheer scale of the expected protests, we do not feel that the talk can safely go ahead,” after security concerns led to the address being called off.
Officials from the High Commission in Colombo said that the Sri Lankan Mission in the United Kingdom is working closely with British law enforcement and security officials to ensure the President’s safety.
Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne on February 6, 1952, after the death of her father George VI, with her coronation being held on June 6 the same year.
British media reports indicated a potential embarrassing situation for the Queen and the British government, after tyrannical king of Bahrain, Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa, accepted the invitation.
The British government has come under mounting pressure to dis-invite Al Khalifa for the events.
CT
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