Sri Lanka shifts Saarc summit venue to Colombo

Sri Lanka yesterday decided to shift the venue of the upcoming Saarc summit from Kandy to Colombo due to inadequate facilities in the island nation's scenic tourist spot to accommodate the leaders and delegations from the member countries.
The 15th summit of the regional grouping and its preceding meetings are scheduled to be held from July 27 to August 3.
"Colombo city hotels have been identified to accommodate around 1200 delegates and media personnel associated with the event," an official statement said.
The shifting of the venue from Kandy to Colombo has been done due to inadequate infrastructure facilities to accommodate the seven heads of state, their respective delegations and the large international and regional media contingent, it said.
However, picturesque Kandy, located about 80 kms northeast of Colombo, is being retained as the venue for events associated with the summit, the statement said.