Episode 53: Navigating Sri Lanka’s Foreign Policy

Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa emphasised on an equidistant policy soon after being elected in 2019. While China is Sri Lanka’s largest economic partner, the latter recognises India to be an important neighbour. However, as a small state, it is concerned about the power competition in the Indian Ocean. With the incoming of a new cabinet, how will the island nation navigate the challenges? Will there be any major departures from the past policies? To shed light on the direction of Sri Lanka’s foreign policy, we hosted the current Foreign Secretary of Sri Lanka, Admiral Prof Jayanath Colombage. Admiral Colombage served the Sri Lanka Navy for 36 years, was its 18th Commander and was appointed Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy in 2012. At the time of his appointment as Foreign Secretary, he was the Additional Secretary to the President on Foreign Relations and the Director General of the Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka (INSSSL).