Mar 06, Colombo: External Affairs Minister of Sri Lanka Prof. G.L. Peiris says the country would not be included in the agenda of the next Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meeting.

He has asserted that the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2013 would be held in Sri Lanka.

He has told parliament that there is "not a shadow of doubt" that CHOGM would be held in the country this year.

"There is a very clear procedure to be followed before a matter can be placed on the agenda of CMAG. Hence, it is not possible to place Sri Lanka on its agenda," Prof. Peiris has said.

He has made this comment in response to a question posed by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe.

Wickremasinghe has questioned about media reports that Sri Lanka would be discussed at the next CMAG and asked the minister to make a full statement disclosing the present position regarding CMAG.

The move to include Sri Lanka as an agenda item at the CMAG meeting scheduled to be held in London in April is contrary to the clearly formulated rules governing the scope of CMAG's role, the Minister has pointed out during his recent meeting in Dhaka with his Bangladeshi counterpart Dr. Dipu Moni who is the current chair of CMAG.

The CMAG, which was given an enhanced mandate at the CHOGM in Perth, Australia in 2011, has the authority to suspend a member country from the association.