Foreign relations of Sri Lanka

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has one of the fastest economic growth rates in South Asia, The country pursues a moderate foreign policy that places reliance on multinational diplomacy, Sri Lanka has stressed its principle of friendship towards all, enmity towards none in its diplomacy.

Sri Lanka traditionally follows a Non-Aligned Foreign Policy; as a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, Sri Lanka has tended to not take sides with major powers. Since the end of the Cold War, the country has pursued better relations with all major powers.

Sri Lanka now seeks to strengthen its diplomatic, economic and military ties with China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Russia, United States, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and European Union. Sri Lanka has also forged close ties with the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), African Union and Arab League.

Sri Lanka participates in multilateral diplomacy, particularly at the United Nations, where it seeks to promote sovereignty, independence, and development in the developing world. Sri Lanka was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). It also is a member of the Commonwealth, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Colombo Plan. Sri Lanka continues its active participation in the NAM, while also stressing the importance it places on regionalism by playing a strong role in SAARC.

Sri Lanka has begun to translate the ideal into a foreign policy that pursues regional economic integration in Asia and aims to establish Sri Lanka as a regional hub of transit trade in Asia.

History

Present

The goal of Sri Lanka foreign policy is to maintain a strong, independent, powerful and united Sri Lanka; The Sri Lanka foreign policy establishment maintains that in achieving this goal.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Policy has been founded on national interest. In a period of rapid and continuing change, foreign policy capable of responding optimally to new challenges and opportunities. It has to be an integral part of the larger effort of building the nation's capabilities through economic development, strengthening social fabric and well-being of the people and protecting Sri Lanka's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Sri Lanka's foreign policy is a forward-looking engagement with the rest of the world, based on a rigorous, realistic and contemporary assessment of the bilateral, regional and global geo-political and economic milieu.

Allies

Sri Lanka’s growing economy, strategic location, friendly foreign policy has won it more allies. Sri Lanka has friendly relations with several countries in the developing world. Though Sri Lanka is not a part of any major military alliance, it has close strategic and military relationship with most of the major powers.

Countries considered Sri Lanka’s closest include China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan, South Korea & Malaysia.

Sri Lanka has also fostered a friendly relationship with Russia and United States.

China is the largest supplier of military equipment to Sri Lanka; the two countries also collaborate extensively in the sphere of counter-terrorism and military technology. Sri Lanka also enjoys strong military relations with several other countries, including Pakistan, India & Bangladesh.

Raw materials need

Sri Lanka and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf (GCC) enjoy strong economic and military ties. This is reflected in the fact that more than 90% of the oil consumed by Sri Lanka comes from the Persian Gulf countries and Sri Lankan nationals form one of the largest expatriate communities in the Arabian Peninsula. Sri Lanka is one of the largest trading partners of the GCC. The Gulf countries have also played an important role in addressing Sri Lanka's energy security concerns with Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates regularly increasing their oil supply to Sri Lanka to meet the country's rising energy demand. In 2008, United Arab Emirates decided to invest in Sri Lanka's energy sector.

Military

The Sri Lanka Armed Forces is the overall unified military of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka encompassing the Sri Lanka Army, the Sri Lanka Navy, the Sri Lanka Air Force which comes under preview of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Bilateral relations

Asia

Bangladesh

Main article: Bangladesh – Sri Lanka relations

Relations are historically tied together even beyond the sub-continent's colonisation by the British. Sri Lanka's first King (to be mentioned in the ancient Pali chronicles) was alleged to have ancestors from the Vanga Kingdom which occupied an area now known as Bangladesh. Bangladesh's Buddhist minority gifted Sri Lanka with a few strands of hair said to have belonged to Buddha as a sign of goodwill. It is a worshipped object on Poya Day, a Buddhist public holiday in Sri Lanka.

In August 2008, both Heads of States discussed the implementation of new air links in hope of increasing trade, investment and stronger cultural links. Sri Lanka's current investments have been in Bangladesh's garment and banking sector and expect to diversify into different areas. Bangladesh also hosts a number of Sri Lankan medical students and cricket as a form of friendly communications between their people. There has been discussion to increase bilateral relations, cooperation between the two navies and sending Sri Lankan Naval personal to study in Bangladesh.

Bhutan

Main article: Bhutan – Sri Lanka relations

• Diplomatic relations began in 1987.
• The ambassador of the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi is accredited to Bhutan.
• The ambassador of the Bhutanese Embassy in Dhaka is accredited to Sri Lanka.
• Bhutan has an honorary consulate in Colombo.

China

In a Summer 2011 article for the academic journal Asian Security, Nilanthi Samaranayake of CNA has undertaken a first-time, systematic analysis of the trends in Sri Lanka’s economic, military, and diplomatic relations with China over the last decade.

India

Main article: India – Sri Lanka relations

India is the most important foreign player in Sri Lanka. India and Sri Lanka have generally maintained a healthy relationship, Although it was affected in mid-1980s due to India's involvement in Sri Lankan civil war.It is also widely believed that India helped Sri Lanka, wipe off the LTTE in the latter stages of the civil war. India had helped Sri Lanka with military training and intelligence for Sri Lankan civil war, after a long reluctance.

Iran

Main article: Iran – Sri Lanka relations

Israel

Sri Lanka has a close relationship with Israel, and its military is a major user of Israeli weapons systems that include the IAI Kfir Fighter Jet, the Super Dvora Mk III class Patrol Vessel, and the Gabriel missile. In May 2011, the Israeli Minister of Agriculture visited Sri Lanka with an agro-business delegation to promote cooperation between the two countries.

Japan

Main article: Japan – Sri Lanka relations

Japan has an embassy in Colombo. Sri Lanka has an embassy in Tokyo.

Maldives

Main article: Maldives – Sri Lanka relations

Official and economic relations between the neighboring Indian Ocean countries of the Maldives and Sri Lanka, have been positive since the Maldives became independent in 1965. The Maldives first established a mission in Sri Lanka in July 1965, and today has a high commission in Colombo. Sri Lanka has a high commission in Malé. Both countries were founding members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in December 1985.

Pakistan

Main article: Pakistan – Sri Lanka relations

• Sri Lanka's ties with Pakistan is warming gradually. Pakistan has been recently supplying military equipment to the Sri Lankan armed forces. In the past, Pakistan has been a major ally of Sri Lanka in supplying High-Tech military equipment to the Sri Lankan army in the civil war against the Tamil rebels prevailing in the country.
• There is a Pakistani embassy located in Sri Lanka and a Sri Lankan embassy situated in Pakistan.
• Sri Lankan government and Pakistani government are determined to increase their military as well as economic ties. They are also working on a mutual cooperation agreement on combating terrorism.

North America

Cuba

Main article: Cuba – Sri Lanka relations

United States

Main article: Sri Lanka – United States relations

• The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka is located in Colombo, as are U.S. Agency for International Development offices and Public Affairs offices. IBB offices are located near Chilaw, 75 km north of Colombo.

Europe

Czech Republic

Main article: Czech Republic – Sri Lanka relations

• Historical relations between Czech Republic and Sri Lanka have been good with foundations to build upon in strengthening bilateral cooperation.
• There have been state visits by both sides
• The Czech Republic has a consulate in Colombo.

Denmark

Main article: Denmark–Sri Lanka relations

Estonia

Main article: Estonia – Sri Lanka relations

• Sri Lanka recognised Estonia on the 10 October 1991.
• Sri Lanka has an embassy in Stockholm which serves Estonia.
• Estonia has no embassy for Sri Lanka.
• Economic relations between Sri Lanka and Estonia are at moderate level.

Holy See

Main article: Holy See – Sri Lanka relations

• Formal Relations Began in 1978.
• The Holy See has a nunciature in Colombo. Sri Lanka has an embassy in Rome.

Hungary

Main article: Hungary – Sri Lanka relations

• Sri Lanka has an embassy in Vienna, Austria that is accredited to Hungary and has a consul in Budapest
• Hungary maintains a consulate in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
• The relationship is low-keyed, but there are no outstanding issues. Hungary contributed to relief after the 2004 Tsunami, and has since stepped up aid to Sri Lanka.

Romania

Main article: Romania – Sri Lanka relations

Romania-Sri Lankan relations are foreign relations between the Romania and Sri Lanka. The Romanian Ambassador in New Delhi in Concurrently accredited to Sri Lanka, while the Sri Lanka Mission in Warsaw is concurrently accredited to Romania. The President of Sri Lanka, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga characterized relations between the two countries in 2003 as "close and friendly".

History

Diplomatic relation between Sri Lanka and Romania were established on 15th September 1957. Initially maintained at Legation level, the relations were later raised to Ambassadorial level in 1967. In 1963 Romania opened a Commercial Office in Colombo, this was upgraded to as Embassy in 1976 with a chargé d'affaires. The Romanian Mission in Colombo was closed in 1995 but reopened as a Commercial Office in 1998.

In 1978 the Sri Lankan minister of Foreign Affairs visited Romania.

Romania provided 32,000 euros worth of humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated the country in December 2004.

The ambassador designate of Sri Lanka in Bucharest was Clarence Felician Chinniah until his death in January 2009.

In December 2009, Valerica Epure presented her credentials to President Mahinda Rajapaksa to become Ambassador-Designate of Romania to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankans in Romania

In December 2009 with the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka 46 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees were sent to Romania to be processed for resettlement from Indonesia on there way to Australia.

Trade

Bilateral trade between Sri Lanka and Romania was valued at US $ 8.87 million in 2007, up from US $ 7.9 million in 2006. Efforts have been made to expand trade in Ceylon tea to Romania. In 2009, Chairman and CEO of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board Anil Koswatte has singled out Romania as country for which exports could be increased.

Bilateral agreements

Romania and Sri Lanka have the following bilateral agreements in place:

• PAYMENTS AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUMANIAN PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC. SIGNED AT COLOMBO, ON 16 MARCH 1956
• TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF CEYLON AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUMANIAN PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC. SIGNED AT COLOMBO, ON 16 MARCH 1956
• Agreement to promote cultural cooperation (1974)
• Agreement on the promotion and protection of investment (1987)
• Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation (1987)

Russia

Main article: Russia – Sri Lanka relations

Switzerland

Main article: Sri Lanka – Switzerland relations

Oceania

Australia

Main article: Australia – Sri Lanka relations

External links

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka
• Fallacy and the Reality of IMF Standby Arrangement for Sri Lanka by The Sunday Times