If there is no national security in a country, there is no survival. Democracy and freedom is vital to very country. Hence, I consider the theme chosen for the Defence Seminar ‘Security in an era of global disruptions,’ as a timely and most appropriate theme to fit today’s context,” he noted. President Sirisena is currently on a tour to Nepal to attend the 4th Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

Excerpts from the message:

The timely theme, ‘Security in an Era of Global Disruptions,’ I am sure, during the two-day long sessions, would shed light on multifaceted and diverse perspectives that need to be evaluated in the context of restoring global peace, harmony and prosperity, absent from disruptions and violence that would harm the very development of human civilization and also the next generations yet to be born, to be precise.

As you know very well, no nation would be able to survive without national security intact and all alone, but absence of security would definitely push the entire population into a state of horror and anarchy, needless to mention. We have undergone those bitter experiences and overcome those threats against our own survival as a multi ethnic nation, thanks to our own armed forces. Therefore, all of you who have assembled here have the responsibility as well as the capacity to address contemporaneous security issues that appear to be increasingly interconnected and unpredictable, both at regional and global levels in correct perspective during your consultations.

What we are witnessing worldwide as of today is grim, complex, thought-provoking and more importantly, necessitates us to take serious note of own existence in an era of digitalized technology with the avowed objective of mitigating, if not avoiding such tense political compulsions and associated ad hoc violent solutions that bring untold misery and death. This forum in this regard, would be able to alert the delegates to the process of learning strategies and direct address of root causes that wreak havoc in Nations within their national boundaries and not allowing them to spill over.

‘Colombo Defence Seminar’ since its inception, has been fully dedicated and committed to promote global partnership through extensive discussions of current relevance particularly in the wake of appearance of different disruptive forces that would multiply grave threats to the democratic statecraft, political and socio-economic stability and more significantly, to the very existence of mankind living in this amorphous milieu.

As open and frank academic parley, I am pretty sure, would induce all of you to seek means to muster collective efforts, away from traditional perspectives and explore possibilities to seek collective mechanisms to overcome disruptions against long-lasting peace through intellectual brainstorming.

The Sri Lanka Army’s intellectual connectivity and accommodation of fruitful discussions for the sake of indispensable security concerns through this forum, indeed deserves my commendation and appreciation.

I also wish to express my deep gratitude to the Commander of the Army for all the arrangements that went into to make these sessions a memorable one to all who assembled here in Colombo.

Had I been able to speak to you in your presence, I would have been the most privileged to do so, but another overseas commitment undertaken, has unfortunately deprived me of that productive interaction with you in Colombo. Nevertheless, as the Lord Buddha has preached, I fully believe “Peace should begin from One’s own Inner Heart, since Violence begets only Violence.” Resolution of any critical issue whether it be security or otherwise, should therefore be made only through negotiations, nothing other than dialogues and exchange of views. That is what the true sense of humanity means to all of us.

Let me wish all of you good luck for deliberations in the ‘Colombo Defence Seminar’ sessions and making it an eye-opener to the world at large. I hope you will enjoy an unforgettable stay in Sri Lanka, endowed with rich culture of hospitality and warmth. I once again thank the Sri Lanka Army for its meticulous arrangements and all of you for gracing these candid deliberations for the greater benefit of mankind and the generations, yet to be born.