- Proposes convening Colombo Security Conclave
Following Sri Lanka’s silence over the recent US attack on an Iranian naval vessel, former External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris yesterday accused the National People’s Power (NPP) Government of leaving the country adrift without any foreign policy at a time of rising regional tensions.
Addressing a joint Opposition media briefing yesterday (11), Prof. Peiris said the issue was not whether Sri Lanka’s foreign policy was good or bad, but that there was none at all. “Buffeted by wind and wave without any conscious effort to formulate a foreign policy, the sad truth is that Sri Lanka today has no foreign policy,” he charged.
He criticised the Government for maintaining what he described as a policy of silence over the US strike on the Iranian vessel, despite Sri Lanka’s strategic location and existing regional mechanisms. According to him, the country lacked the political will and resolve to act decisively.
Referring to the Colombo Security Conclave comprising Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives and Mauritius, Prof. Peiris said the platform had been established to ensure peace and stability in surrounding waters. He argued that Sri Lanka should take the initiative to convene the grouping to explore ways of reducing escalating tensions in the Indian Ocean region.
“Sri Lanka must not remain non-committal, disengaged and evasive. The Conclave exists to prevent big power rivalry and violence in the western Indian Ocean from spilling over into the Bay of Bengal, for the sake of our economy and the wellbeing of our people,” he said.
Drawing comparisons with past leaders, Prof. Peiris said former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike had intervened during the 1962 border conflict between India and China, while former President J.R. Jayewardene had urged forgiveness towards Japan at the conclusion of the Second World War. He also referred to former President R. Premadasa’s international engagement on poverty and housing, and former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s address to the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2023, where he outlined Sri Lanka’s recovery path following the economic crisis.
He claimed that such proactive diplomacy stood in stark contrast to what he described as the present Government’s evasion and refusal to accept responsibility.
Prof. Peiris further warned that Sri Lanka’s fragile economy could face serious repercussions from instability in nearby waters. He noted that the attack on the Iranian vessel close to Sri Lanka’s economic waters could threaten the country’s export lifeline.
“There is every danger of ships bypassing the Port of Colombo owing to the violence and turbulence so close to the Island. Insurance premiums will inevitably rise,” he cautioned.
He said higher insurance costs would undermine the competitiveness of key exports, including tea and apparel, placing further strain on an already vulnerable economy.