Australia will support Sri Lanka both politically and technically for the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) next year, visiting Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr assured today.
 
“Australia will be at the Commonwealth Summit next year and will provide Sri Lanka with the technical assistance necessary for a successful summit,” he said.
 
When asked whether Australia will support Sri Lanka in the face of Canadian pressure not to attend the summit here, the minister said Canada needed to engage with Sri Lanka on issues of human rights.
 
“There needs to be engagement with Sri Lanka by way of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commissions (LLRC) report to resolve any issues it may have with regards to human rights. As far as engagement with Sri Lanka is concerned the LLRC is the best instrument,” Mr. Carr said. (Dianne Silva) (Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana)