In a phone call to President Mahinda Rajapaksa this morning, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai congratulated Sri Lanka and President Rajapaksa for the assumption of the Commonwealth Chair-in-Office, the President’s office here said.

While offering his best wishes to both President Rajapaksa and the people of Sri Lanka, President Karzai praised Sri Lanka’s ability in improving many social indicators and achieving such rapid development.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2013 took place in Colombo over the past weekend with the participation of 50 Commonwealth nations. This year’s CHOGM focused on the theme “Growth with Equity; Inclusive Development.”