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Malinda Meegoda, Research Associate of LKI, was invited to speak at the ‘South Asia Regional Seminar: Dealing with the Missile Threat in South Asia’ on 15 January 2019.

Speaking at a session titled ‘CBMs and Non-proliferation: What Relevance in the South Asian Context?,’ Mr. Meegoda explored the similarities and divergences between nuclear weapons proliferation and the security dynamics of the cold war era, and the current South Asian context. He noted that two factors affect the security stability in South Asia—the development of counterforce weapons such as Ballistic Missile Defense systems, and the emerging sea-based deterrent option pursued by the three nuclear powers in the region. Mr. Meegoda also argued that smaller states like Sri Lanka have a responsibility to continue and expand on its historical commitments to arms control, and disarmament issues, through greater engagement on multilateral treaties and codes of conduct.

The seminar was organised by Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique (FRS) with the cooperation of the Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka (INSSSL). The seminar featured senior defence officials, diplomats and technical experts from Austria, France, India, Pakistan, and Sweden among others.