Sri Lanka President to arrive in New York today

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is now in the United States on a private tour will arrive in New York Monday to participate in the 65th Session of the UN General Assembly.

According to the government President Rajapaksa is scheduled to address the global audience as the 7th speaker on the inaugural day of general debate on the Thursday, September 23.
On Wednesday (22) President Rajapaksa is scheduled to address the high level plenary meeting on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), commenced today at the UN Headquarters.
World leaders are participating in the meeting from September 20-22 to accelerate progress to achieve the MDGs by 2015. According to the UN the MDGs include slashing poverty, combating disease, fighting hunger, protecting the environment and boosting education.
President Rajapaksa is leading a delegation that includes Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, W.D.J. Seneviratne and Douglas Devananda, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and Foreign Secretary Romesh Jayasinghe.
The President is expected to hold bilateral discussions with several heads of states on the sidelines of the General Assembly. He is to meet the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-mon on Friday September 24th.
This is his first UN appearance after winning the war in May 2009 with the Tamil Tiger rebels and crushing the terrorism. The President will address the global audience on issues related to the defeat of terrorism and the economic development followed.
External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris is already in New York. He has arrived earlier to participate in the Foreign Ministers' meeting, ahead of the General Assembly.
The general debate will continue from September 23 to 25 and from 27 to 30.