VIENNA, 30th July, 2023 (WAM) Sri Lanka has become the 178th state to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). This milestone moves South Asia closer to achieving full adherence to the Treaty and was commemorated with a ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The event was attended by Mohan Pieris, the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, and Andrei Kolomoets, Officer-in-Charge of the Treaty Section of the UN Office of Legal Affairs (UNOLA). Sri Lanka’s ratification of the CTBT comes after the Cabinet of Ministers officially approved the Treaty on 6th June, following a visit from Robert Floyd, the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). “This development demonstrates the power of together, advancing the global momentum towards a world free from nuclear testing.” Robert Floyd, CTBTO Executive Secretary. Floyd emphasised that the cause strongly resonates with the Sri Lankan people. The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) approved Sri Lanka as the host country for the next on-site inspection (OSI) Integrated Field Exercise (IFE), IFE25, to be held in 2025. IFE25 will be the third such exercise conducted by the organization. The first was in Kazakhstan in 2008, and the second in Jordan in 2014. Tariq Al Fahaam
Source: Emirates News Agency (WAM)