Sri Lanka's foreign ministry opposes politicization of coronavirus traceability

On September 8, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka issued a statement on the issue of tracing the origin of the new crown virus, expressly opposing the politicization of the issue of tracing the origin. Earlier, during a video meeting with Chairman Li Zhanshu of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Sri Lankan Speaker Abe Wadena reiterated Sri Lanka's firm stance on the issue of tracing the origin of the new coronavirus on behalf of the Sri Lankan parliament. Ambassador Chandra Prema, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka in Geneva, also sent a special letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in July this year, demanding that science and facts should be resolutely respected and politicized in the process of promoting global traceability. The full text and translation of the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka are as follows:



original:

Statement on the issue of tracing the Origins of COVID-19

　　The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disruptions to the health, safety, and livelihoods of people around the world. Therefore, multilateralism and international cooperation provide the best possible means to effectively and sustainably defeat the pandemic.

　　It is equally important to conduct a comprehensive, inclusive, and impartial study on the origin of the virus.

　　Sri Lanka notes the leading role played by the World Health Organization (WHO) in this regard and the contents of the joint report of the WHO–convened Global Study released in March 2021.

　　Sri Lanka reiterates that the study on the origin tracing of SARS-Co-V-2 should be based on scientific and evidence-based methods and should not be politicized. The next phase of the study should reflect the key findings of the previous WHO-led joint study report.

　　Sri Lanka will continue to constructively engage with all international partners to find amicable and comprehensive solutions to unresolved issues in this regard.

　　Foreign MinistryColombo8 September, 2021