The Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath addressed the High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva on Monday (23 Feb), reaffirming Sri Lanka’s firm commitment to global disarmament and multilateral cooperation.
In his statement, the Minister reiterated Sri Lanka’s longstanding support for Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones (NWFZs) and called for tangible progress in establishing such zones, particularly in the Middle East.
He emphasized that the total elimination and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons remain the only guarantees against their use and underscored the importance of legally binding security assurances for non-nuclear-weapon states.
Highlighting Sri Lanka’s historic contribution to the global disarmament agenda, including its advocacy since the 1960s and its role in championing the First Special Session on Disarmament in 1978, the Minister reaffirmed the country’s continued engagement in nuclear disarmament, humanitarian demining, and the implementation of international conventions related to anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions.
Minister Vijitha Herath further called for renewed multilateralism to strengthen the Conference on Disarmament as the primary negotiating forum for global disarmament and non-proliferation. (Newswire)