The British Defence Secretary of UK Dr Liam Fox has postponed his private visit to Sri Lanka to deliver the Lakshman Kadirgamar Memorial Oration scheduled for the 18th of December. According to Guardian, ‘Liam Fox, the defence secretary, was forced to abandon a private visit on Friday night to Sri Lanka this weekend after a row with William Hague, who feared that he would upset Britain's carefully balanced approach to Colombo. Fox announced his change of heart as US embassy cables leaked tonight provided fresh allegations of the Sri Lankan government's complicity with paramilitary groups in last year's offensive against the Tamil Tigers. The Sri Lankan External Affairs Ministry in Colombo in a press statement said that the invitation to Dr Fox to deliver the Oration was extended by the Lakshman Kadirgamar Foundation and not by the government. The statement said that despite the private nature of the visit, due to the status of the visitor and the important nature of the Oration, the Ministry in association with the other concerned agencies of Government had made all arrangements to provide the necessary protocol assistance and facilitation to Dr. Fox during his planned stay in Sri Lanka. Foreign Ministry said that the same arrangements will be afforded, in the event of the Foundation rescheduling the Oration by Dr. Fox for a future date. A spokesman for UK’s defence secretary said: “Dr Fox has postponed his private visit to Sri Lanka due to an extension to his scheduled official visit to the Gulf. He intends to carry out an official visit to Sri Lanka next year, during which he proposes to fulfil the speaking engagement that he had planned. Earlier this month, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa faced an embarrassment when his invitation to lecture at the Oxford Union debating society was withdrawn, hours before the scheduled date, reportedly under the pressure of the Tamil diaspora sympathetic to the LTTE. Dr Liam Fox, who is considered a friend of Sri Lanka had accepted an invitation to deliver the prestigious Lakshman Kadirgamar memorial lecture in Colombo. The invitation was issued by the widow of the late foreign minister, who was assassinated by the LTTE in 2005.