DailyMirror
While taking over the Chairmanship of the G-15 in Tehran President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday proposed the Summit that the G-15 should work very closely with the G-8 to promote constructive dialogue on all major aspects of development.
He said a clear methodology needs to be worked out for this dialogue to be realistic and fruitful.
Speaking at the G-15 Summit in Tehran, President Rajapaksa said that the G-15 had a unique composition representing about 33 per cent of the world population, with clearly identified objective.
For this reason the G-15 stresses the need for reforms in the international financial architecture to better enable it to monitor, respond and to prevent financial and economic disasters. To attain this objective there must be an open, inclusive and transparent dialogue.
The twenty years, since the inception of our Group, have seen significant changes in its collective economic profile, he said.
“Some of our members, who have progressed to development indicators earlier limited to the ranks of the G8 countries, are already playing an influential role in the global economic power structure.
President Rajapaksa asked for a ‘realistic and fruitful’ dialogue with the developed countries.
“In taking over the Chair, I commit to continuing to further strengthen the voice of our Group on the international stage,” he said.
“I have every confidence that in this task, Sri Lanka would receive the fullest co-operation and support of all Members of the Group,” Mr. Rajapaksa said while taking over the coveted post from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The strong unity this Group has always projected, complemented by its rich diversity, will go a long way towards contributing to the achievement of its objectives,” Mr. Rajapaksa said.
“I consider it a special privilege and an honour for Sri Lanka to assume the Chair of the G-15 at the milestone of its 20th anniversary,” he said.
The Group, has countries who are leading producers of oil and natural gas, of extractive resources and of commodities. Others have economies with large and diversified industrial bases accompanied by advanced technological capabilities.
“Common to our nations is a fast growing reservoir of human capital, contributing to the knowledge economy,” Mr. Rajapaksa said.
He said a clear methodology needs to be worked out for this dialogue to be realistic and fruitful.
Mr. Rajapaksa said the G-15 had a unique composition representing about 33 per cent of the world population, with clearly identified objective.
He said it had the potential to play a constructive role in promoting people-centered development initiatives in global economic and social policy dialogues.
“For this reason the G-15 stresses the need for reforms in the international financial architecture to better enable it to monitor, respond and to prevent financial and economic disasters. To attain this objective there must be an open, inclusive and transparent dialogue,” Mr. Rajapaksa said.