The Iranian visit
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's day-long state visit to Sri Lanka went ahead notwithstanding a whimper from that country's enemies. The opening of the multimillion dollar largely Iran-funded Uma Oya project was ostensibly the reason for the whistle-stop call, but the sizeable delegation accompanying the President pointed to Iran's interest in keeping in touch with its friends abroad when they have become more than an irritant to others due to the inflammable events unfolding in the West Asian region. That he visited Pakistan and Sri Lanka skipping India was of diplomatic significance in itself reflecting this geopolitical divide.
The Uma Oya project was clinched by President Mahinda Rajapaksa back when Iran had thawed its relations with the West and signed a nuclear agreement with the USA. The pact, later unilaterally abrogated by the US, caused Iran to be subjected to economic sanctions – without UN Security Council approval. This impacted even countries like Sri Lanka. The multi-purpose project was delayed for years as a result.
Due to faulty geological surveys and engineering in the meantime, the now completed project while providing the bone-dry South with water from the Central Highlands has deprived the people of the Uva province of water they already had. Hopefully, these shortcomings will be rectified sooner than later. Importantly, the project escaped allegations of corruption that plagued the then Sri Lankan Government which had entered into several such mega projects with foreign countries during its tenure in office.
On international affairs, the unfolding genocide in the Occupied Territories of Palestine and continuing economic cooperation amid sanctions imposed on Iran seem to have taken centre stage in the bilateral talks.
Unfortunately, Iran does not seem to subscribe to the two-state solution of Palestine and Israel side-by-side as a means to an end to the conflict, a position Sri Lanka has consistently supported. Iran believes in the ideal one-state solution where all communities live together.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe referred to the common features in the relations emphasising that both countries belong to the Global South seeking their own identity and independence.
High-level officials are to meet to iron out the modalities of working within and outside the sanctions slapped on Iran, in the backdrop of moves by the Global South for the de-dollarization of the world economy.
The US dollar's status as the international reserve currency and the weaponisation of it to coerce countries like Iran and Sri Lanka to bow down to the US worldview, will no doubt, be on the table.