Sri Lanka needs to move beyond SAARC: President

Emphasises country’s commitment to strengthening international economic relations at BCIS convocation ceremony

President Ranil Wickremesinghe and former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga at the event. On left is New Zealand High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Michael Appleton. Pix by Priyanka Samaraweera

The Indian Ocean should be free from big power rivalry and Sri Lanka has been expressive about the matter at every international forum, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

He was speaking at the annual convovation ceremony of the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS) held at the BMICH on Friday.

President Wickremesinghe added that Sri Lanka too is seemingly getting caught in the rivalry between the US and China. Hambantota for example has been labelled as a “Chinese Port,” he noted. “That rivalry is also not good for our region. It’s a rivalry we can do without. As far as we are concerned, we don’t look at the US as one option and China as another option.”

When it comes to strengthening economic ties, Sri Lanka needed to move beyond SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), said the President.

“We have BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for MultiSectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) which is still coming together as a group. The other option available for us was to join the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership). So the Government of Sri Lanka applied to join the RCEP, which would give us a big market, the biggest market,” said Mr Wickremesinghe, adding that while it may not be as comprehensive as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, it was still the best economic bloc that Sri Lanka can join.

Sri Lanka is also negotiating with India on a separate treaty which will upgrade the

Sivanka Dhanapala receiving the award of honour on behalf of his late father, Jayantha Dhanapala

Ambassador H. M. G. S. Palihakkara receiving his award of honour

present Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and go for a comprehensive economic and technological partnership. Sri Lanka is now moving to develop its economic relations with all the countries in Asia and Europe and look at Africa as a potential market later on, the President said.

A highlight of the event was the BCIS conferring honours on two of Sri Lanka’s

distinguished diplomats, the late Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala and Ambassador H M G S Palihakkara for their contribution to diplomacy in general, and the promotion and protection of Sri Lanka’s national interests.

The honour conferred on late Ambassador Dhanapala was accepted by his son Sivanka Dhanapala, who is the UNHCR’s representative in Syria.