Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka trips over own policy on Pakistan status in Comonwealth

Friday, 23 November 2007

Sri Lanka reversed its decision on supporting the suspension of Pakistan from the Commonwealth, after admitting that its foreign minister was unaware of the government's official policy. The cabinet presided over by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake met in emergency session to reiterate its position that it does not support the suspension of Pakistan from the Commonwealth,Deputy Foreign Minister Hussain Bahila said. But they somehow failed their own envoy to the Commonwealth, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.

"The cabinet of ministers had decided on Wednesday not to support the suspension of Pakistan, but the foreign minister had left the country by that time to attend the Commonwealth sessions in Uganda and was not aware of the official position taken up by the ministers when he supported the suspension," the deputy minister explained.

Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is currently attending the Commonwealth summit, will be making the country's position clear in his statements, Bahila said.

Pakistan is one of the main countries which supplies military hardware to Sri Lanka for its conflict with Tamil rebels.

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