President meets UK and EU parliamentarians

President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is on a visit to the United Kingdom met several British and European Union parliamentarians in London Wednesday.

The President was accompanied by Ministers Prof. G. L. Peiris, S.B. Dissanayake, Provincial Council member Nauzer Fawzie, and the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in the UK Justice Nihal Jayasinghe.

The President was scheduled to address the Oxford Union today on an invitation by the Oxford Union and the Sri Lanka Society of Oxford University. He will deliver a lecture on National Development Strategy of Sri Lanka.

The Presidential Media Unit said this is the first time a state leader addresses the Oxford Union for the second time in its 187 year history. President Rajapaksa previously addressed the Oxford Union in 2008.

The Presidential Media Unit said that 11 ambassadors and nine diplomats are to participate in the President’s lecture.

The President is to meet the Vice Chancellor of the Oxford University, the Defence Secretary of the UK and the Secretary of the Commonwealth during the tour, Presidential Media Unit reported.

Among the UK and EU Parliamentarians whom the President met were Lord Naseby – Conservative Party; Chairman, All Party Parliamentary Group on Sri Lanka (APPG-SL) Lord Sheikh - Conservative Party; House of Lords, Lord  Dholakia – Liberal Democrat Party; Member - All Party Parliamentary Group on Sri Lanka (APPG-SL); Lord Grocott – Labour Party - House of Lords; Lord Wallace of Saltair – Liberal Democrat Party - House of Lords; Nirj Deva Member of European Parliament; Geoffrey Van Orden, Member of European Parliament ; James Wharton, Conservative Party Member of Parliament - House of Commons; Nigel Evans - Conservative Party Member of Parliament, House of Commons; and David Amess - Conservative Party, Member of Parliament House of Commons.