24 February 2023 10:56 am Views - 2882
Sri Lanka has once again on Thursday abstained from voting on a resolution against Russia at the UN General Assembly, where the General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to call for a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine and for Russia to withdraw its forces immediately.
The resolution, which passed 141-7 with 32 abstentions on the day before the one-year mark of the Ukraine war, calls for Russia's "immediate cessation of the attacks on the critical infrastructure of Ukraine and any deliberate attacks on civilian objects, including those that are residences, schools and hospitals."
It also calls on nations and international organizations to redouble support for diplomatic efforts to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
The seven countries who voted against it were Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua and Syria. Sri Lanka, India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan Iran and South Africa were among the 32 countries to abstain the vote.
A year ago also, Sri Lanka abstained in the UN General Assembly on a draft resolution calling for Russia to be held accountable for violations of international law by its invasion of Ukraine.(Sunil Jayasiri)