(Mirror) – Minister Wimal Weerawansa is scheduled to leave tonight ato represent the country at the funeral of the president Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.
The Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Neomal Perera too will be be a pericipant at the funeral obsequies.
pay tribute to President Hugo Chavez, who died on Tuesday.
Mr Chavez's coffin set off in a procession to the Military Academy, where he will lie in state till Friday.
The government has announced seven days of mourning for the president, who died aged 58 after 14 years in the post.
Mr Chavez, a controversial figure and staunch critic of the US, was seriously ill with cancer for more than a year.
A self-proclaimed revolutionary, he inspired a left-wing revival across Latin America.
Latin American leaders have begun arriving in Caracas to pay their respects - among them President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina, Jose Mujica of Uruguay and Evo Morales of Bolivia.
Ecuador, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, Chile, Cuba and the Caribbean island of Dominica have declared periods of official mourning.
On Wednesday morning, a priest prayed for eternal rest for Mr Chavez in a brief ceremony at the hospital where he died on Tuesday, after which officials put his flag-draped coffin on top of a waiting hearse surrounded by crowds.
The procession then began its slow journey through the streets of the city, led by officials including Vice-President Nicolas Maduro and accompanied by cheering red-clad supporters.
Some shouted "Chavez to the pantheon", referring to the mausoleum he built for revolutionary leader Simon Bolivar.
"I'm here to say my final goodbye to my president. There will never be another Chavez.
Mr Chavez's illness prevented him from taking the oath of office after he was re-elected for a fourth term in October.
Announcing the president's death on Tuesday, Vice-President Nicolas Maduro called on the nation to close ranks after its leader's demise.
"Let there be no weakness, no violence. Let there be no hate. In our hearts there should only be one sentiment: Love."
Police and troops would be deployed nationwide "to guarantee the peace", he added.
A statement from the military said it would remain loyal to the vice-president and to parliament, it added, urging people to remain calm.
Vice-President Maduro will assume the presidency until an election is called within 30 days.(BBC)
