| President
Mahinda Rajapaksa had an official meeting with his Italian
counterpart President Giorgio Napolitano in Rome today
(19) as he began his official visit to Rome and the
Holy See. He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Rohita
Bogollagama and Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga.
The Sri Lankan President
arrived at the Ciampino Military Airport in Rome last
evening, where visiting dignitaries are received. He
was met by the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Rome Rodney
Perera, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to
the UN in Geneva Mrs. Sarala Fernando and a Senior Representative
of the Italian Foreign Ministry.
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President Rajapaksa is due to have an audience with
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican tomorrow
( 20), in a historic first ever visit by a Sri Lankan
Head of State to the Vatican. This is also the first
official visit of a Sri Lankan Head of State to Rome
in the past 24 years, since the visit here of former
President J. R. Jayewardene.
Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, the Sri Lankan Bishop who
heads the Vatican's Congregation of the Liturgy was
present at the reception to President Rajapaksa and
Mrs. Rajapaksa by Ambassador Rodney Perera last evening.
The President and Archbishop Malcolm Ranjit had a long
discussion on developments in Sri Lanka, especially
about Church – State relations, religious freedom,
the threat of terrorism in Sri Lanka and the conditions
of Sri Lankan migrant workers in Italy.
President Rajapaksa is accompanied by Ministers Jeyaraj
Fernandopulle, Felix Perera and Milroy Fernando, Deputy
Ministers Naomal Perera and Dayasritha Tissera.
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama who had been to
Greece yesterday met President Rajapaksa at the reception
by Ambassador Rodney Perera and informed him that the
Bi-lateral discussion with Greece had been concluded
and that the Government of Greece had expressed its
total opposition to terrorism.
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