Hon.
Bernard K. Membe (MP), Minister for Foreign Affairs and International
Co-operatin humbly accepting his appointment as a new Chairperson for
the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), a meeting that was
held today at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall
(BMICH) in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The
Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group in session during their meeting
today held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall
(BMICH) in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Minister Membe (2nd left) and Hon. Prof. G.L. Peiris, Sri
Lankan External Affairs Minister reviewing Presidential election report
on Maldives from the Commonwealth team of observers.
Hon.
Minister Membe (right), congratulates his counterpart Sri Lankan
External Affairs Minister Hon. Prof. G.L. Peiris (left),for his country
as a host of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and
for the heartfelt hospitality throughout the weeklong meetings.
The
Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister Hon. Prof. G.L. Peiris
congratulates Hon. Minister Bernard Membe for been elected as a new CMAG
Chairperson.
Mr. Kamalesh Sharma (left), Commonwealth Secretary-General congratulates Hon. Minister Membe.
Hon.
Samura M. W. Kamara, Sierra Leone Minister for Foreign Affairs and
International Cooperation congratulates Hon. Minister Membe.
Minister Membe (right), in a discussion with Ms. Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba (center), the Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General and Ambassador
Peter Kallaghe (left), High Commissioner of the United Republic of
Tanzania in London, with accreditation to the United Kingdom, to the
Republic of Ireland and to the Commonwealth.
Hon.
Minister Membe gets congratulations from representative of the Cyprus
Foreign Affairs Minister (left) and from the representative of the New
Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister.
Hon. Minister Membe, who is a new CMAG Chairperson, in a photo with Ms. Mmasekgoa
Masire-Mwamba (left), the Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General and a
representative of the Guyana Foreign Affairs Minister (right).
Hon.
Minister Membe (2nd right), in a group photo with Ambassador Kallaghe
(2nd left), together with Foreign Service Officers Mr. Amos Msanjila
(left) and Ms. Eva Ng'itu (right), from the Tanzania Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and International Co-operation.
Hon.
Minister Membe (center), in a photo with Ambassador Kallaghe (left) and
Ambassador Celestine Mushy, Director of the Department of Multilateral
Co-operation.
Foreign Service Officer Ms. Eva Ng'itu congratulates Hon. Minister Membe.
Foreign Service Officer Mr. Amos Msanjila congratulates Hon. Minister Membe.
Communication Officer Ms. Tagie Daisy Mwakawago congratulates hon. Minister Membe for his appointment as a new CMAG Chairperson.
Hon. Minister Membe (left), held discussion with Ambassador Kallaghe (2nd left), Prof. Severine Rugumamu (2nd right) and Ambassador John William Herbert Kijazi (right) High
Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania in India with
accreditation to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Minister
Bernard K. Membe (MP) was unanimously elected Chairperson of the
Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group on the Harare Principles (CMAG) in
Colombo, Sri Lanka today.
Congratulations to Ms. Eva Ng'itu and Mr. Amos Msanjila for a job well done!
Foreign Minister Bernard Membe elected Chair of CMAG
By TAGIE DAISY MWAKAWAGO
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Tanzania
Foreign Minister Bernard K. Membe (MP) was unanimously elected
Chairperson of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group on the Harare
Principles (CMAG) in Colombo, Sri Lanka today.
“We
appoint you as our new Chairperson because of your strong institutional
of knowledge and active mind,” said Hon. Samura M. W. Kamara, Sierra
Leone Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He
said that the decision to elect Tanzania was easy, hoping that Tanzania
will continue to spearhead CMAG’s values during her tenure.
The
eight group members of CMAG comprised of Commonwealth countries of
Cyprus, India, Sri Lanka, Solomon Islands, Pakistan, Guyana, New Zealand
and Sierra Leone expressed their confidence with Tanzania Foreign
Minister Membe for his experience and wisdom. Tanzania sums up the
total nine group members of CMAG.
The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group also elected Hon. Murray McCully, Foreign Minister of New Zealand as a Vice-Chair.
Speaking
as a new CMAG Chair, Hon. Membe said that he appreciated tremendously
the unanimous support received from fellow members. “I am truly humbled
by your decision to elect me as your new Chair. I assure you of my
unwavering commitment in protecting the core groundwork that CMAG stands
for,” said Minister Membe.
The
Ministers also jointly agreed the removal of Maldives from CMAG’s formal
agenda, after receiving an update from the Commonwealth observers that
the Presidential elections held this week in that country were declared
credible and peaceful. Earlier this week CMAG had agreed to table
Maldives on the Group’s formal agenda pending free and fair presidential
elections in the country.
In a
joint statement issued after their meeting, the Ministers congratulated
the people of Maldives for showing their firm commitment to democracy,
and for exercising their franchise in record numbers. “We welcomed the
successful conclusion of the presidential election and noted the interim
statement of the Commonwealth Observer Group, which stated that the
election had been ‘credible and peaceful’, noted the CMAG statement.
Commenting
on Sri Lanka as host of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting,
Minister Membe congratulated the country for their hospitality and
commitment in restoring normalcy. “You have demonstrated good
leadership and endurance despite the turbulences you had faced in the
past,” said Minister Membe.
On his
part, Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said that
hosting CHOGM had enabled foreign representatives to witness his country
emerging from the shadow of war conflicts. “This is a true
characteristic of our Sri Lankans for their resilience and ability to
bounce back,” said Prof. Peiris.
Minister
Membe has been in Sri Lanka for the past three days participating in
the Foreign Ministers side-meetings as a preparatory meeting of the
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM). President Kikwete
led the Tanzania delegation and participated in the Heads of State
meetings from 15-17 November here in Sri Lanka.
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