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| Wednesday, 28 January 2004 |
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| FM addresses the Sixth Asian Security Conference At the invitation of the Indian Defence Minister, George Fernandez, Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando yesterday addressed the Sixth Asian Security Conference organised by the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) in New Delhi. Thanking the Indian Defence Minister for the invitation Minister Fernando described the current South Asian context as an "auspicious time when there is a remarkable easing of tensions in the Sub-Continent". In his speech on the theme "Current Challenges to Multilateralism and the United Nations", the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister focused on a wide range of issues including nuclear disarmament, UN reform and environmental challenges. Calling for the pursuit of the ultimate goal of complete nuclear disarmament, Minister Fernando declared "It has been said, 'One country with one nuclear bomb is more powerful if the rest of the world has none, than a country with a thousand nuclear bombs, if everyone has one'. It has become an imperative for us to work towards reducing nuclear weapons irreversibly and eliminating them altogether eventually. Let nuclear power be used for peaceful and constructive purposes. As the Holy Bible espouses, "Let swords be turned into ploughshares"! Reiterating his country's consistent commitment to UN reform, the Minister recalled, "Sri Lanka has always been supportive of efforts aimed at bringing constructive, radical reforms to the UN system". Underlining the grave risks of inaction in this regard, the Minister continued, "We must, if need be, reform the UN, not deform it. We cannot afford to do nothing. As Edmond Burke said "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing". Referring to achievements in the maintenance of global peace and security the Minister declared, "There is a positive side of the balance sheet. Since 1945 there has been no world war. Although military spending has increased, the deaths from war have been remarkably fewer than those in the first half of the twentieth century." |
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