Sri Lanka Maintains Neutral Stance in Geopolitical Tensions; Focuses on Strategic Investments

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Foreign Affairs Minister, Ali Sabry, PC, reaffirmed the country's commitment to maintaining an independent foreign policy and avoiding alignment with any global power blocs. 

Speaking at a forum in Singapore, Minister Sabry emphasized Sri Lanka's strategic autonomy and its goal to remain open for business while avoiding geopolitical conflicts.

"We have always been clear that we are not interested in being an ally of any of these camps. We will be an independent country and work with everyone, but there are conditions. Our land and sea will NOT be used to threaten anyone else's security concerns. We will NOT allow military bases to be built here. We will NOT be a pawn in their game. We do not want geopolitical games playing out in our neighborhood and affecting us. We are very interested in deescalating tensions. What we could do is have strategic autonomy, negotiate with everyone as sovereign equals, and strategically use competition to our advantage," explained Ali Sabry.

When asked for an example of how Sri Lanka has used this position to its advantage, Minister Sabry cited the Colombo Port as a success story.

"Chinese investments have encouraged other countries to invest. The Colombo Port is a prime example. It is one of the busiest and the 22nd busiest port in the world. We aim to be among the top 10, between Singapore and Dubai. Currently, we have not even achieved 25% of its potential. This requires significant investment and participation from major global players. Japan, in partnership with Sri Lankan firms, is operating one terminal. China runs another, and Adani is building the deepest terminal, allowing larger ships to dock. The US Development Financial Corporation has also invested. This demonstrates that the presence of one country attracts others. We want investors from the Middle East and beyond, creating a win-win situation. We ensure a diverse pool of investors to avoid giving any strategic advantage to a particular country," elaborated Sabry.