CHOGM Summit 2013 commences in Sri Lanka

The inaugural session of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting commenced at 10.15 a.m. at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa theatre today.Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot along with Prince Charles, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and Secretary General of the Commonwealth Nations Kamlesh Sharma will be speaking at the opening of the Commonwealth Leaders Summit in Colombo today.

Prime Minister Abbot as the Former Chairman of the Commonwealth will speak on the topic Commonwealth's enduring values. The Prince of Wales is expected to meet Premier Tony Abbot and other Commonwealth leaders, who have been elected since last CHOGM at a function today.

Prince Charles has kicked off the Commonwealth summit at a colourful opening ceremony in Sri Lanka, declaring his "admiration" for the way the country has rebuilt after a devastating tsunami in 2004. Reflecting on the Boxing Day disaster that killed 35,000 Sri Lankans, the Prince of Wales, who last flew to the country weeks after the tsunami struck, said: "I visited communities affected by the disaster and met many of the relief workers, who were doing so much to help rebuild broken lives and livelihoods. "I recall my admiration for the fortitude shown by them all and commend the progress that has been made since in healing those dreadful scars."

 Held at an enormous lotus-shaped theatre in Colombo, the opening ceremony involved musicians and traditional dancers and included a performance featuring a giant shell. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his wife Shiranthi welcomed officials from Commonwealth countries

The Heads of Government and their representatives posing for the Official Photograph today at The Opening Ceremony of The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), in Nelum Pokuna, Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre, Colombo,