Nov 22, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa arrived at the Entebbe International Airport in Uganda today to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The meeting will be held in Kampala from Friday, 23 November to Sunday, 25 November 2007.

Ugandan State Minister for Trade Nelson G. Gagawala Wambuzi and children of Uganda welcomed the President and the First Lady at the airport.

Queen Elizabeth II as the head of the Commonwealth will open the meeting at the Opening Ceremony on Friday at the Kampala Serena Conference Centre. A total of 52 heads of government will attend the CHOGM that is held every two years and brings together leaders of the 53 Commonwealth countries to discuss global and Commonwealth issues, and to agree upon collective policies and initiatives. The theme of this year’s summit is “Directing the people of the member states towards a healthy transformation in political, economic, and human resource development. ” The meeting provides an opportunity to showcase Uganda as a tourist destination and also to host the Queen.

(Picture by Sudath Silva)