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ICAPP ends meeting with Colombo declaration on enhanced cooperation
View(s):The eighth general assembly sessions of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) concluded yesterday with a declaration aimed at promoting regional security, economic integration and mutual trust.
This year’s theme ‘Building an Asian Community’ focused on the role of political parties in strengthening coordination and cooperation between countries in the region.
Minister Maithripala Sirisena with UNP’s national organiser Daya Gamage at the conference
About 200 delegates from 36 countries in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, West Asia, Central Asia and Oceania participated in the three-day conference co-hosted by the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the main opposition United National Party.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated the event on Thursday at the Lotus Pond Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre. Maldivian President Abdullah Yameen and several other government leaders and heads of political parties attended the event.
The participants yesterday adopted the Colombo Declaration with pledges to enhance mutual trust for regional security and political stability, deepen economic integration for shared prosperity, promote cooperation for sustainable development and promote people-to-people contacts for mutual understanding and friendship.
ICAAP’s founding chairman Jose de Venecia, said this was the first time a ruling and opposition party of a host country jointly organised an ICAAP General Assembly.
He said the role of ICAPP was discussed in the context of regional cooperation efforts as espoused by groups such as SAARC, ASEAN, GCC and APEC.
Minister Maithripala Sirisena, ICAAP Standing Committee chairman, said discussions were held on how to find solutions to the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Syria and the territorial disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, between Israel and Palestine and the Korean crisis.
He said participants also supported a proposal to eliminate nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
President Rajapaksa, will be the Chairperson of ICAPP for the next two years. The foreign delegates will travel to Galle on a sight-seeing tour today.