Cablegate: Sri Lanka Confirms Participation in the 4th

VZCZCXRO6300
OO RUEHBI
DE RUEHLM #1505 3060849
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 020849Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7130
INFO RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 0504
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 7493
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 5653
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1523
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 8087
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 5686
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0688
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 2422

UNCLAS COLOMBO 001505

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS, G:JOAQUIN FERRAO, DRL/MLGA: LAURA
JORDAN, AND IO/RHS: AMY OSTERMEIER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PHUM UNGA CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA CONFIRMS PARTICIPATION IN THE 4TH
COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES MINISTERIAL

REF: STATE 151024

Deputy Chief of Mission and ECON Chief delivered reftel
demarche to Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona on November 1.
Kohona said that Sri Lanka will attend the Bamako
Ministerial. He added that the GSL would not be able to send
a minister as head of delegation because the dates coincide
with Sri Lanka's annual budget vote in Parliament. He noted
that Sri Lanka has so far played an important role in the
Community of Democracies and expressed the GSL's willingness
to do "whatever we can do to encourage other countries to do
the right thing democracy-wise." Sri Lankan initiatives at
the ministerial meeting, if any, may focus on the topic
"protecting democratic institutions against terrorism."
MOORE

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