CPSL condemns pursuit of military cooperation with NATO

The Communist Party of Sri Lanka (CPSL) has strongly objected to the Ministry of Defence’s statement on 1 September that Defence Secretary Sampath Thuyacontha has invited the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to engage and cooperate with Sri Lanka.

CPSL General Secretary Dr. G. Weerasinghe has issued the following statement: “According to the Ministry’s official press release, Thuyacontha held discussions with senior NATO officials, including Admiral Guiseppe Cavo Dragone, Chair of the NATO Military Committee and senior advisor to the political leadership of NATO member states on the sidelines of the Chiefs of Defence Conference in Canada.

The discussions reportedly covered exchange of military personnel, sharing of information and expertise, and military modernisation involving advanced technology and cyber capabilities.

These developments indicate a clear shift in Sri Lanka’s military posture, moving beyond traditional bilateral partnerships and signalling a growing alignment with a Western military bloc.

The CPSL views this engagement with NATO as a deeply unhealthy development that violates the principles of non-alignment which have guided Sri Lanka’s foreign policy for decades. Sri Lanka is neither in Europe nor in North America, nor is it located in the Atlantic Ocean. NATO’s remit has no relevance to Sri Lanka’s security needs.

NATO is an alliance for aggression, protecting imperialist interests. Historically, NATO has not carried out a single defensive operation; instead, it has launched unprovoked military interventions in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and Libya, causing immense human suffering. The United States-led NATO military bloc contributes to over 70% of global military spending.

The United States, NATO’s most powerful member, is at present engaged in an unprovoked war of aggression against Iran, while NATO countries continue to support Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people and its aggression against Iran and Lebanon. The US has also been pressuring NATO members to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP, a sign of anticipated aggression.

The illegal US base at Diego Garcia, established through the ethnic cleansing of the Chagossian people, lies close to Sri Lanka and has been used for illegal abductions and attacks during Washington’s wars against Iraq and Iran.

Sri Lanka’s participation in discussions with such an alliance raises serious questions about the government’s strategic direction and its susceptibility to external pressure.

Sri Lanka’s foreign policy must remain non-aligned, independent, and rooted in national sovereignty. Engagement with NATO represents a dangerous deviation that threatens to compromise the country’s neutrality and expose it to geopolitical conflicts far beyond its shores.

The CPSL reiterates that Sri Lanka must not allow itself to be drawn into NATO’s global military agenda. The country’s security interests lie in peaceful cooperation within the Indian Ocean region, not in entanglement with an alliance responsible for destabilising multiple nations across the world. Sri Lanka must not become a pawn in global power struggles.

1. The Government to immediately clarify the nature and scope of its discussions with NATO.

2. Parliament to demand full transparency regarding foreign military presence and agreements.

3. The People of Sri Lanka to remain vigilant against attempts to erode national sovereignty under the guise of “modernisation” or “cooperation”.

Sri Lanka must not abandon its proud tradition of non-alignment. The CPSL will continue to oppose any move that compromises the independence, sovereignty, non-alignment, and long-term security of our people and our nation.”