EU expresses readiness to help Sri Lanka to counter violent extremism

Monday, 5 August 2019 12:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The European Union, stressing solidarity with Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday attacks has underlined its readiness to help Sri Lanka counter violent extremism.

EU High Representative/Vice President Federica Mogherini, in a bilateral meeting with Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Minister Tilak Marapana, had stressed the EU’s solidarity with Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday attacks.

Meeting with the Minister on the side-lines of the 26th ASEAN Regional Forum in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday (2 August), Mogherini underlined the EU’s readiness to help prevent and counter violent extremism.

The Foreign Minister, meanwhile, addressing the ARF on Friday, stressed the necessity for concerted global efforts to counter traditional and non-traditional security concerns, including terrorism, violent extremism and cybercrime, and underscored the need for a deepened resolve among the ARF participants to overcome the challenges.

The 26th ARF session focused on expanding confidence-building measures and enhancing cooperation in areas such as the anti-terrorism effort, strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime, preventive diplomacy, countering violent extremism, promoting women, peace and security, and ensuring the secure use of information and communication technologies. The Meeting condemned multifaceted acts of terrorism including the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka and the recent acts of violence in New Zealand and the Philippines.

In order to counter the menace of terrorism, the Meeting underlined the need to address its root cause and to develop a holistic approach in enhancing collaborations among the ARF participants in this endeavour.

The Ministers also discussed and exchange views on matters relating to regional and international issues of common interests.

While in attendance at the Forum, Minister Marapana also conducted bilateral meetings with Bangladesh Minister of Foreign Affairs A. K. Abdul Momen, Minister of External Affairs of India S. Jaishankar, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand Winston Peters on the side-lines of the Forum.

The meetings provided the opportunity to discuss the most pertinent and current bilateral issues and paved the way to further consolidate the existing relations with these countries.

Established in 1994, ARF comprises of 27 Member countries.

It is an important platform for security dialogue in the Indo-Pacific, which provides a setting in which members can discuss current security issues and develop cooperative measures to enhance peace and security in the region. Sri Lanka is a participant country of ARF, joining the Forum in the year 2007.

In view of the increasing importance of engaging with the ASEAN region, Sri Lanka aspires to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner in the ASEAN and necessary measures have been taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to this end.