The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation organized the VIII Conference on International Security, which was held in Moscow on April 23-25, 2019. More than 1000 delegates from more than 110 countries attended the event. Sri Lanka was represented by H. E. Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Russia, Mr. N.K.G.K Nammawatta, Secretary, State Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka, and Mr. Wimal S.K. Liyanagama, Senior Assistant Secretary, Defence.
Among the topics, explored by senior officials of defence authorities of various countries, dignitaries, and experts at round tables, plenary sessions, and the special session of the Conference, were military-to-military peacekeeping, reconstruction and economic development as well as outcomes of ISIS defeat in Syria and Iraq. Furthermore, talks were held on “Color” revolutions and “hybrid” warfare and regional security in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Several Russian and foreign dignitaries drew attention to the recent terrorist acts, carried out in Sri Lanka, when addressing the audiences at different sessions.
At the opening ceremony of the 8th Moscow Conference on International Security, Minister of Defence of Russia, General of the Army Sergey Shoygu mentioned that “Recent terrorist acts in Sri Lanka have reaffirmed the long overdue need to join efforts to control the movement of terrorists and eliminate their sources of funding”. The Minister of Defence of Russia also expressed support to “Sri Lankan partners as well as offer sincere condolences to relatives and friends of those who suffered at the hands of terrorists”.
Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, also brought up the bomb explosions, saying that “today leading international centers should not compete among themselves, but join the forces in the name of combating threats, common to all mankind, particularly, international terrorism. Despite significant achievements in suppression of ISIS and other groups, this evil is not yet fully eradicated. The latest evidence of that is terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka”.
Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Mr. Vladimir Norov, also addressed the guests of the Conference at the opening ceremony and underscored that “there is still a tendency of growing threats by international terrorist and extremist organizations to the world and stability within the vast Eurasian space, as evidenced by terrorist acts in Sri Lanka. Besides, we can see an attempt to stir up an interreligious conflict”.
Furthermore, Ministers of Defence of two countries - Iran and Malaysia - expressed condolences for the victims of bomb explosions in Sri Lanka during their addresses at the Plenary Session No. 2 "Outcomes of ISIS defeat in Syria and Iraq: stabilizing the region and addressing terrorist threats in the environment of their transformation" of the 8th Moscow Conference on International Security.
On April 25, 2019 during the Plenary Session No. 4 “Regional security aspects: Asia, Africa and Latin America” Senior Minister of State for Defence of Singapore Mr Heng Chee How highlighted “tragic Easter bombings in Sri Lanka”. Another foreign dignitary who expressed condolences to the victims of Easter Sunday explosions was Minister of Defence of Central African Republic Marie-Noëlle Koyara. “We mourn for victims of terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka’, said the CAR’s defense minister.
