Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-05-17

Organizing International Religious Conferences in Sri Lanka in 2016 and 2018

- The South Asia and the South East Asia have always been home to a multi-religious and multi- ethnic population since the past and at present, due to extremist activities, the harmony of this region is threatened. In this backdrop, the need to build and sustain a thriving dialogue among the different religions, with a view to establishing and strengthening a background that tolerates other cultures and religions, has emerged. Accordingly, the proposal made by the Hon. Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremasinghe, to conduct an International Conference on Theravada Buddhism in the year 2018, under the supervision of the Ministries of National Policies and Economic Affairs; Foreign Affairs; and Buddhasasana and to hold the International Conference on Islam and Democracy in South Asia and South East Asia on the 17th, 18th and 19th November, 2016 in Colombo, under the supervision of the Ministries of National Policies and Economic Affairs; Foreign Affairs; and Posts, Postal Services and Muslim Religious Affairs, was approved by the Cabinet.