The immediate challenge currently before the Group of 15 is to reposition itself for higher performance, stated External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris.

He made this statement in his opening remarks at the 33rd Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Group of 15 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

He said that Sri Lanka had already begun consultations with a wide cross section of stakeholders, both in the public and private sectors, to explore potential projects and activities that could be initiated, Minister Peiris pointed out.

Recalling that there are only five years remaining till the agreed deadline of 2015 to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), he added that much of the international community had faced setbacks in the achievement of these goals, over the past crises - laden years.

Prof. Peiris who is the current Chair elaborated that their collective experiences, knowledge and capacity however comprise a vital source of strength for the G-15 Members to draw upon.

Minister Peiris emphasized that policy coordination and dialogue with development partners will also contribute to the Group’s objective of being a representative voice of developing countries’ concerns and interests, in all critical fora.

The Ministers and the representatives of the G-15 countries acknowledged that the spirit of cooperation and determination to bolster the G-15’s strength and image were already evident in the August 2010 deliberations of the High Level Task Force (HLTF) to revitalize the Group, which Sri Lanka had hosted.

They endorsed the HLTF report, thus launching the road map to be followed towards the collective goal of further increasing the effectiveness of the Group.

The meeting of G-15 Foreign Ministers on September 24 was the first to take place since Sri Lanka took over the Chair of the Group, at the Summit in Tehran in May 2010.