Sri Lanka Reaffirms Commitment to Neutrality and Non-Alignment, Says Middle East Conflict “Serves No One”

Colombo, The Gulf Observer: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to geopolitical neutrality and non-alignment, stating that conflicts such as the war in the Middle East “serve no one”.

Speaking to CNN’s Richard Quest, Prime Minister Amarasuriya said that Sri Lanka’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean made it essential for the country to remain clear of geopolitical conflicts amid rising global tensions.

She emphasised that avoiding entanglement in international power struggles was vital to Sri Lanka’s national interests and economic stability, particularly as the country contends with the impact of rising fuel prices and global energy costs.

The Prime Minister acknowledged that maintaining balanced relations with major powers, including China, India and the United States, has historically been one of the principal challenges of Sri Lanka’s foreign policy. She noted that aligning too closely with any single power had not worked to the country’s advantage, underscoring the importance of an independent foreign policy in an increasingly polarised international environment.

Turning to the economy, Prime Minister Amarasuriya said Sri Lanka had made significant progress in its recovery from the severe financial crisis of 2022, driven by fiscal discipline, structural reforms and sustained efforts to combat corruption.

She also explained her government’s decision to continue with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, despite earlier political criticism of the arrangement. She said the programme was already in place when her administration assumed office, and that subsequent discussions with IMF representatives had revealed common ground on fiscal discipline and governance reforms.