President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be the first speaker during the morning sessions of the United Nations General Assembly next Wednesday (24). He will address the UN General Assembly not only as Sri Lanka's Head of State but also as Chairman of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) representing over 1.5 billion people in South Asia.
Over 150 world leaders are expected to address the UN General Assembly. US President George W. Bush will speak on the opening day, September 23 – his farewell appearance before the 192-member world body. The Lankan President will be attending a reception hosted by President Bush on September 22 and a dinner hosted by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on September 23.