The founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, has said President MahindaRajapaksa, who took effective steps to invest in Information Technology to empower the people with IT knowledge 'to ensure speedy socio-economic progress of the country', is an example for other world leaders to emulate.

The Chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said this presenting the award for the most outstanding rural-based Information Technology program - to Nanasela of Sri Lanka - President MahindaRajapaksa's concept. Gates made this presentation at the International Librarians and Intellectuals Conference in Leon, France on August 18.

President Rajapaksa, and his government recognised the extraordinary potential that Information Technology has, to dramatically improve people's lives in the country, and succeeded in overcoming challenges faced during adaptation of IT for development, Gates said.

Gates expressed appreciation of President Rajapaksa's commitment and dedication to transform the lives of underprivileged people by making use the tools of Information Technology, and emphasised his good leadership in this important field as an example for other world leaders to emulate.