By Easwaran Rutnam   The pre-2015 relationship between Sri Lanka and Russia was seen as being strong and closer than it was in the past. That relationship however saw a decline after the Government of good governance took over and the country moved closer to the US and the West. Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Russia Dayan Jayatilleka has now accused former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera of blocking some agreements between both countries owing to a “Russophobic attitude”. Jayatilleka, who was appointed as Ambassador by President Maithripala Sirisena despite strong objections when Wickremesinghe was Prime Minister, told The Sunday Morning that all the agreements that were signed between Russia and Sri Lanka, as long as three years ago, and even during the time of President Sirisena's visit to Russia in 2017, were either blocked, sabotaged, or slowed down by the Wickremesinghe administration. “I am sure that with the new PM, Finance Minister, and Foreign Minister, the understandings arrived at during the state visit of President Sirisena to Russia and the partnership potential in his fruitful meeting with President Putin, will be fulfilled,” he said. Jayatilleka says Sri Lanka needs to maintain a strong relationship with Russia and even China. “Russia is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. As a nuclear power, it is second only to the USA. It is the largest country in the world and the only truly Eurasian country. Its leader is one of the most powerful, respected, and influential in the world, and is the third in the line of great leaders that Russia has produced in the modern era. Russia is consistently against terrorism unlike some who are much more selective, and the Russian military has shown its prowess in defeating terrorism not only on its home soil but even in Syria – thereby performing much better than Western militaries, which have been fighting against terrorism for decades. Russia is an important member of BRICS. Russia plays a very active role in global diplomacy. Russia is the closest strategic partner of the rising economic superpower China. Russia helps balance the world, and without Russia and China, we would have all been at the mercy of others. For all these reasons, Russia is a very important partner for any country, especially those of the global South, including for Sri Lanka,” he said. Concerns of the West The western world has had concerns over Russia’s role in some countries – including in Sri Lanka – similar to the concerns raised on China’s involvement in Sri Lanka. Russia, which played a part in the war against the LTTE, is a military superpower and this is a threat to the West. Ambassador Jayatilleka however says there is no reason for anyone to be suspicious of Russia’s role in Sri Lanka, especially when Russia has never raised concerns over western interests in Sri Lanka. He says the only reason for suspicion he can think of is that Sri Lanka is viewed as being of enhanced strategic value in the great military effort that certain hegemonic powers are making, utterly unwisely and unsustainably, to encircle and besiege both Russia and China at the same time, because they view them as a threat. “Russia has never expressed suspicions or concerns over the role of western or any other countries in Sri Lanka. Why then do western countries see Russia's role in Sri Lanka with suspicion? Similarly, China has not expressed any suspicions, or indeed any views whatsoever, on views on the role of other countries in Sri Lanka. Why then do western countries see China's role with suspicion? Russia and China have consistently stood by us during the existential threat we faced from terrorism over thirty years. They never told us what to do or criticised us gratuitously for the measures we took to save our country, unlike some. They have stood by us consistently and prominently in every UN forum. They never interfere in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. They never tell our leaders what they should do, how, and when. Russia and China have proved that they respect our sovereignty. They have proved they are powerful friends whom Sri Lanka can trust,” he added. Non-interference The political crisis in Sri Lanka has drawn the attention of several countries, but Ambassador Jayatilleka says Russia has not attempted to dictate to Sri Lanka on the crisis. “High ranking Russian officials say that Russia doesn't do to friends what they do not like anyone do to them, or try to do to them; namely, to tell them what to do in their internal affairs. No Russian official has ever told me what they think Sri Lanka should do. They are very well informed, ask very intelligent questions, and speak with great empathy. They understand the strategic and policy issues at stake in Sri Lanka today but will never comment on them publicly. They only make two general points: firstly they stress the need for a multi-polar world and are wary of efforts to hold back such an evolution, and secondly, they share the view that Russia made a mistake in the 1990s adopting certain policy postures, which it has learnt from, will never repeat, and that the Russian people are resolute in their willingness to pay the price never to return to those days. But they never apply this specifically to Sri Lanka or any Sri Lankan political players,” he said. Asked if Russia is taking sides like some countries, the Ambassador insisted that Russian officials do not take partisan positions and speak with respect and friendship of President Sirisena as well as new Prime Minister and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. “They do not comment on the actions of the Government nor do they speak of any political parties or other politicians, and do not take sides in domestic political disputes. They only wish us well as a country,” he said. The Ambassador said that Sri Lanka and Russia need to enhance their relationship and take it to a higher level. “We have experienced intrusive, patronising behaviour on the part of certain external actors – including former colonial ones who should be more sensitive – with relation to our internal affairs, over the past 10 years; starting at least with the attempt at a resolution in Geneva in 2009, which we defeated at the time. These same actors have stepped up their intrusive statements and behaviour in the recent past. Therefore, we need the support of Russia and China more than ever before to play the role of a diplomatic, economic, and strategic counterbalance, in defending our national sovereignty. The people of Sri Lanka can clearly see and hear who is saying and doing what, who is playing what role, and who are our real friends who do not try to talk down to us,” he said. The Ambassador also noted that he told Russian President Vladimir Putin, when he had the privilege of speaking to him after handing in his credentials, that Sri Lanka was thankful to him for giving Russia the leadership and enabling it to play a role in restoring some balance, some equilibrium in the world, through the defence of reason and realism in world affairs – concepts which have long been abandoned by those who claimed to have invented them.