Sri Lanka president leaves South Africa for Kenya to boost ties

Sri Lanka's president will leave for Kenya on Wednesday for a four-day official visit after attending the memorial services for the late South African President Nelson Mandela, the President's Office said. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who participated in the State Memorial Service for Mandela that took place at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg Tuesday, will go to Pretoria on Wednesday to pay homage to Mandela's remains that are lying in state at the Union Buildings. From Pretoria, Rajapaksa will leave for Nairobi on the same day. During his visit to Nairobi, the president is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. He will also attend a round table conference with the officials of the UN environmental program and the UN habitat program and participate in a business forum in Nairobi. Minister of External Affairs Prof. G L Peiris, Deputy Minister of Civil Aviation Geethanjana Gunawardena and several other high- ranking officials will accompany the president. The tour is part of Sri Lanka's new foreign policy shift that seeks to increase ties with developing countries in Africa and South America.