President to attend Bush's Roundtable on Democracy today

Meets Norwegian PM

Bandula Jayasekara in New York

US: President Mahinda Rajapaksa will join a select group of Heads of State and Governments at a roundtable discussion on Democracy on the invitation by US President George W. Bush today. The meeting will take place this afternoon, after the opening of the General Debate at the 61st Session of UN General Assembly.

President Bush will also host the world leaders attending the UN sessions for a special reception at the Hotel Waldorf - Astoria.

A State luncheon will be hosted by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan today at the United Nations, in honour of the visiting leaders. This will be Annan's final sessions, as UN Secretary General.

President Rajapaksa will also hold bilateral meetings with King Abdullah of Jordon, President of the Swiss Confederation Mortiz Leuuenberger and Jens Stoltenberg Prime Minister of Norway.

At the meeting between the President and the Norwegian Premier, the two leaders are likely to review the latest developments concerning the prospects of talks between the Government and the LTTE.

UN Under Secretary General and Special Representative of the Secretary General for children and Armed Conflict, Sri Lanka's Radhika Coomaraswamy Director General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Juan Somavia, Antonio Gutteres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees and Executive Director of UNICEF Ann M. Venerman will also call on the President today.