Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Sunday assured New Delhi that his country will not allow its territory or airspace to be used for activities that threaten India's national security.
Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Sunday assured New Delhi that his country will not allow its territory or airspace to be used for activities that threaten India's national security. He reiterated Colombo's commitment to a "non-aligned" foreign policy amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict. The Sri Lankan president addressed these concerns during a gathering at Nikaweratiya in the country's Northwestern province.
“Our seas, our land would never be allowed to be used for any hostile act against our neighbour India ," he said at the Sunday gathering. Dissanayake went on to recall the foreign policy achievements of his government during the last two years. “We are not a nation of any military capabilities, so we would not become a party to any military conflict," he said, reiterating his non-aligned stance.
He further added that Sri Lanka had rejected requests from both the United States and Iran to side with them in the ongoing war that has rocked West Asia . Dissanayake noted that Sri Lanka has denied permission to the US for its aircraft to land and also rejected Iran’s request to send warships, PTI reported.
“But we won’t hesitate when asked for humanitarian assistance,” he said. In March, Sri Lanka provided hospital care to sailors of an Iranian vessel that was struck by a US submarine.
It is pertinent to note that Dissanayake's latest remarks on the matter came after he met with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Colombo last month. During the talks, the two sides discussed their bilateral partnership, including cooperation on regional safety, security, peace and prosperity.
During the meeting, Dissanayake went on to reiterate that Sri Lanka would not allow its territories to be used for activities that are inimical to India's security interests. Singh, who was on a three-day visit to the country, also conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's greetings to the Sri Lankan president and congratulated him on completing two years in office .
During the visit, the two nations reaffirmed their commitment to working together as close neighbours, maintaining maritime partnerships for the development and welfare of their people, and supporting regional security. The Sri Lankan leader's latest statement also reiterated Colombo's position that it will not use its territory and airspace against India, as the country seeks to avoid any form of military conflict.
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