Few can match SL peacekeeping troops’ professional experience: SL to UN

• Says obstacles mustn’t be placed on SL’s long standing peacekeeping contribution

By Lahiru Pothmulla   

Few countries can qualitatively match the troops sent by Sri Lanka who have extensive professional experience in all aspects of peacekeeping and providing humanitarian assistance, Sri Lanka told the UN on Monday.  

Addressing the 74th UN General Assembly, Foreign Affairs Ministry Secretary and Leader of the Sri Lanka Delegation, Ravinatha P. Aryasinha said obstacles must not be placed on Sri Lanka’s long standing Peacekeeping contribution to the UN.  

“We look forward to enhancing our contribution towards a more secure and peaceful world, and obstacles must not be placed on Sri Lanka’s long standing Peacekeeping contribution to the UN. Given Sri Lanka’s experience of the recent past in low and high intensity conflicts with terrorist groups, few countries can qualitatively match the troops sent by Sri Lanka who have extensive professional experience in all aspects of peacekeeping and providing humanitarian assistance. I take this opportunity to express gratitude to their contribution, and wish to particularly remember the three soldiers Corporal M. Wijesinghe who made the ultimate sacrifice in Haiti in 2005 and Captain H.W.D. Jayawickrama and Corporal S.S. Wijekumara in Mali early this year,” he said. 

 
As a Troop Contributing Country, Mr. Aryasinha said Sri Lanka was pleased to endorse the Action for Peacekeeping Declaration of shared commitments last year and is confident that it would revitalize the collective efforts in making such operations effective and coherent.  “Sri Lanka has been contributing to the UN Peacekeeping efforts since 1960 serving in the Central African Republic, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia, Mali, South Sudan, Timor and Western Sahara, demonstrating our commitment to global peace and security,” he said.