We have nothing to hide-MR

14 November 2013 06:04 am Views - 9173

President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said that Sri Lanka has nothing to hide. “We are very open, we have nothing to hide,” the President said.

Speaking at a media briefing ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM), the President also expressed satisfaction over External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid attending the Commonwealth summit.

When asked whether he was satisfied with the level of Indian participation at the CHOGM, the President said, “The Foreign Minister is here. I am satisfied.”

When an Indian reporter stated that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has skipped the conference in deference to public sentiments in Tamil Nadu, Rajapaksa shot back, "But he has not said this to me".

The President noted that the Indian Prime Minister had not attended a previous summit in Perth two years ago.

Ignoring demands from political parties in Tamil Nadu for a total boycott, Khurshid yesterday arrived in Colombo for the summit, making it clear that India's participation is not in any way dilution of its stand on Tamils in Sri Lanka.