Confusion over Nuclear Test Ban Treaty field event

Defence Ministry says preparatory meeting held, CTBTO and FM say event is postponed

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By Editor_1
A reconnaissance team from the CTBTO has already identified a site near the Maduru Oya National Park in the Eastern Province for the proposed IFE exercise - flicker

COLOMBO – Confusion surrounds Sri Lanka’s plans to host an Integrated Field Exercise (IFE) under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) with the defence ministry announcing preparations for the event are underway, but both the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) and Sri Lanka’s foreign minister saying the event has been postponed.

Sri Lanka ratified the CTBT in 2023, having initially signed the treaty in 1996. Following the treaty’s signing, an auxiliary seismic station was established in Pallekele, Kandy, as part of the treaty’s monitoring framework.

The CTBTO, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, oversees treaty-related activities, including on-site inspections (OSI). After ratification, Sri Lanka’s Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) submitted a bid to host the six-week IFE 2025 in the Eastern Province, covering approximately 1,000 square kilometres. The IFE is a simulated exercise designed to test the technical and scientific capabilities of the CTBTO and its member states in detecting and responding to nuclear test scenarios.

Despite initial plans, the CTBTO confirmed that the IFE has been postponed. “The CTBTO and the Government of Sri Lanka have mutually agreed to postpone the IFE from 2025 but remain focused on delivering it at the earliest feasible date,” a CTBTO official said on Friday (3).

Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath also stated that Sri Lanka had informed the CTBTO of its decision to delay the exercise. “We have informed them that we can’t hold it in 2025 and that we will have to postpone,” he said on December 20. Minister Herath highlighted that ratifying the CTBT could benefit Sri Lanka in the future, especially if the country decides to include nuclear energy in its energy mix.

Contradicting these statements, the Ministry of Defence described the IFE as a landmark event for Sri Lanka, emphasizing its economic and diplomatic advantages. In a statement on December 3, the ministry claimed that hosting IFE 2025 would attract hundreds of international delegates and generate over 10 million Euros in revenue, boosting the local economy. “By hosting IFE 2025, Sri Lanka affirms its growing stature in global disarmament initiatives and its dedication to fostering international security and arms control efforts,” the statement read.

Similar exercises were previously conducted in Kazakhstan (2008) and Jordan (2014). If held in Sri Lanka, the IFE would involve activities such as ground surveys, drilling for samples, deploying seismic instruments, and simulating explosions to monitor nuclear radiation. A reconnaissance team from the CTBTO has already identified a site near the Maduru Oya National Park in the Eastern Province for the proposed exercise.

However, concerns have been raised about the potential impact of the exercise on local communities and ecosystems. Officials familiar with the process noted that allocating a large land area in the Eastern Province could affect tourism and disrupt access for private entities and the general public. The exercise’s activities, including ground disturbance and increased human presence, could temporarily displace wildlife and affect soil and vegetation. One of the planned simulations involves releasing chemicals to mimic an explosion, which could have localized environmental effects.

Sri Lanka’s participation in the CTBT comes with financial obligations, including an annual fee exceeding 25,000 Euros, according to a government document. Amid the country’s ongoing economic crisis, this expenditure has sparked some debate.

The CTBTO is also exploring the possibility of a visit by its Executive Secretary, Robert Floyd, later this month. His agenda reportedly includes meetings with President Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, and Foreign Minister Herath.

-economynext.com/ENCL

 

Editor_1
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