GL calls for collective action on counter terrorism

External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris emphasized the importance of collective action in areas such as counter-terrorism, food security, energy security and climate change in his address to the commemorative meeting of Foreign Ministers to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade.

"Pride of place must be given to ensuring that trends in the developed world should not lead to the formulation of economic policy in a manner that is detrimental to the interests of vulnerable developing nations," the minister observed.

External Affairs Minister Professor G.L. Peiris with Serbian President Boris Tadic

The use of trade agreements for the attainment of political objectives should be strenuously resisted, Prof. Peiris said.

Sri Lanka takes legitimate pride in being among 25 countries which formed the Non-Aligned Movement, he added.

"Our association with NAM goes even further. The forerunner of the founding NAM Summit was the Bandung Conference of 1955, which our country was privileged to co-sponsor with India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Myanmar," he said adding, "the apex of our affiliation with the Movement came with Sri Lanka's Chairmanship of NAM during the period 1975-76, when we had the signal honour of being the first Asian country to host a NAM Summit."

The Non-Aligned Movement, in terms of its ideals and contribution to international relations, remains as relevant and of as much value today as it was in 1961 when it came into being in this very city, Professor Peiris said.

He recalled the words of former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike at the Fifth Summit held in Colombo i.e. "any concept of domination or control exercised by some states over the fortunes of others is inconsistent with the democratization of international relations."

Minister Peiris told the Foreign Ministers of NAM countries that the continuing practical value of the NAM Movement is evident in several fields.

Among them is the clearly perceived need today to adopt an issue-based approach to the resolution of problems, encouraging countries to make a principled assessment of situations, unfettered by a firm commitment to an ideology or a group of countries.

"There is also the growing acknowledgement that the basis of international relations must derive from the mainsprings of a variety of cultures, straddling civilizations in different parts of the world, without exclusive emphasis on one point of view or one body of historical experience," he said.

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which commenced with 25 states, today counts among its members 120 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe, accounting for about two-thirds of the membership of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

During his visit to Belgrade, Minister Peiris was received by Serbian President Boris Tadic. Minister Peiris recalled the meeting President Mahinda Rajapaksa had with President Tadic at the 15th NAM Summit in Egypt in 2009.

He briefed the President about the progress achieved by the government of Sri Lanka during the last two years with regard to development and reconciliation, and outlined the government's plans for the future.

The minister also briefed the Foreign and Defence Ministers of Serbia, Vuk Jeremic and Dragan Sutanovac about the current situation in Sri Lanka.

The minister held bilateral discussions with his counterparts of NAM countries to acquaint them with rehabilitation, reconciliation and revival of political and electoral processes in Sri Lanka.