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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth Secretary-General to visit India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Maldives

13 February 2003

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon will commence a visit to India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Maldives next week. On this trip he will consult several Commonwealth Heads of Government in advance of their Meeting to be held in Abuja, Nigeria on 5-8 December 2003. The visit will also provide an opportunity to exchange views on regional and international developments of concern to the Commonwealth.

The Secretary-General will be in India from 16 to 19 February, where he will meet Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee; Minister for External Affairs, Yashwant Sinha and Finance Minister, Jaswant Singh. In New Delhi, Mr McKinnon will speak on the theme 'The Commonwealth and the Healing Touch' at the India International Centre on 17 February. The Secretary-General will also visit the Asia Regional Centre of the Commonwealth Youth Programme in Chandigarh.

Mr McKinnon will visit Bangladesh from 19 to 21 February where he will hold consultations with Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia; Minister of Finance, Saifur Rahman and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Morshed Khan. Mr McKinnon will also address the biennial meeting of the Commonwealth Journalists' Association (CJA) in Dhaka on 20 February.
The Secretary-General will be in Malaysia from 21 to 25 February to attend the XIII Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Kuala Lumpur. He hopes to meet the Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is host and Chairman of the Summit, and also a number of Commonwealth leaders attending the Summit.

In Sri Lanka, the Secretary-General's programme from 25 February to 1 March includes meetings with the President, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga; Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tyronne Fernando and other Ministers. Mr McKinnon will also address the biennial Conference of the Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) in Colombo on 28 February.

The Secretary-General will be in Maldives from 1 to 3 March to meet President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Foreign Minister Fathulla Jameel.

Note to Editors:
Mr Joel Kibazo, Director, Communications and Public Affairs Division, Commonwealth Secretariat, who will be accompanying the Secretary-General, can be contacted for all media enquiries related to this visit on +44 (0) 7740450901.

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