June 09, London: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Gordon Brown welcomed Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to his official residence at No. 10 Downing Street today.

The Sri Lankan President also visited David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party and of the Opposition in the UK.

Also today, Kamalesh Sharma, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, welcomed the visiting President at the Commonwealth Secretariat. Mr. Rajapaksa has traveled to London to attend a special two-day Commonwealth summit meeting that began today. Commonwealth heads of government are meeting to discuss reform in the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The summit, chaired by Prime Minister Brown, is the first step in implementing the decisions of the November 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that was held in Kampala, Uganda. Twelve Commonwealth leaders will discuss ways to revamp institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the United Nations, focusing on practical steps that member states can take to achieve reforms and coherence in international financial institutions, global environmental governance, and the UN system.

(Pix: Sudath Silva)