Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said there can be no issue with regard to the venue of the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, which is Sri Lanka, since this matter had already been settled two years ago and the subject is closed.

Answering a journalist at a media briefing on the CHOGM, the Indian Foreign Secretary said “first of all on Sri Lanka, the decision was taken in 2009 for the next two CHOGM summits.”

“I think the matter has been decided already and it is not a subject which needs to be reopened.”

The Foreign Secretary referring to the creation of a Human Rights and Rule of Law monitor as suggested in the Eminent Persons Group Report that is likely to be submitted during the CHOGM said that the real focus of the Commonwealth should be once again on the development challenges which are uppermost in the minds of the vast majority of the members.

“So while we support the important values of democracy, rule of law and human rights, we believe the commonwealth should focus on strengthening the existing institutions rather than trying to create new ones.”