Commonwealth will become stronger and more cohesive under Mahinda Rajapaksa’s leadership: Prime Minister

Islamabad, November 13, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has congratulated the Government and people of Sri Lanka for hosting the important Commonwealth Summit in their beautiful country, says a press release received from Colombo here today.

In his special message on the occasion of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, he expressed his confidence in the astute leadership of His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and said that Commonwealth will become a stronger and more cohesive Organization under his leadership.

Nawaz Sharif will be arriving in Colombo tomorrow to represent Pakistan at the Commonwealth Summit. His delegation includes Begum Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecom Ms Anusha Rahman Ahmad Khan and the Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbasi Jilani.

The Prime Minister reaffirmed that Pakistan being a democracy and a responsible member of the global community subscribes to the work of the Commonwealth for promoting peace through international co-operation, poverty alleviation through sustainable economic and social development. Theme of this year’s Summit “Growth with Equity-Inclusive Development’, is therefore, highly relevant, he added.

Nawaz Sharif fondly recalled that he represented Pakistan in the Harare Summit in 1991, where the landmark declaration was adopted setting out the core principles and values of the Commonwealth. Commonly known as the “Harare Principles”, these values and principles encompassing democracy, freedom, peace, the rule of law, respect for human rights and opportunity for all, serve as a binding force amongst its member states, he added

Pakistan is one of the 8 founding members of the Commonwealth, which signed the London Declaration of April 1949. Pakistan makes annual contributions to five heads of the Commonwealth namely Commonwealth Secretariat (COMSEC), Commonwealth Foundation (CF), Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC), Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL).

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