From 27 July until 4 August 2008 Colombo will host the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit.

Heads of state from several countries in the region -- including India, Pakistan and Afghanistan -- will attend. As such, security in Colombo will be extremely tight with large sections of the city restricted to residents and official personnel only. Sources indicate that some areas of the capital are restricted, with limited movement for people and vehicles, and other areas are off limits for civilians. Four high security zones have been declared in the city, and access to roads from the Ceramic roundabout and Kollupitiya up to Old Parliament road has been restricted. Additional designated high security areas include the Sri Lanka Ports Authority area, Police Headquarters area, Janadhipathi Mawatha and Galle Face. Security arrangements for residents living in off-limit areas require security identification of the individuals and their vehicles. Special security arrangements have also been instituted for Bandaranaike International Airport; Fort Colpetty and Slave Island railway stations will be closed. Transportation disruptions and high levels of vehicular traffic are likely in the areas surrounding the restricted neighborhoods. Furthermore, while the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebel group has declared a unilateral ceasefire during the summit, this does not preclude other transnational terror groups or a rogue LTTE faction from targeting the summit. Foreigners should avoid travel to Colombo at this time if at all possible and should keep current with local news to minimize disruptions if in the city.