I am pro-Sri Lanka declares President Wickremesinghe 

• Wickremesinghe takes middle ground between China and India while announcing willingness to work with any partner
• Asserts that many countries fail to grasp that SL’s current priorities do not align with those of ‘big powers’
• Expresses bewilderment as to why SL has been drawn into Indo-Sino-US rivalry
• Assures SL is not engaging in a strategy of ‘hedging back and forth’ to maximise benefits from any party
• Claims AUKUS was a misstep and may backfire on US, Australia, and UK

President Ranil Wickremesinghe reaffirmed his commitment to Sri Lanka and its advancement yesterday before an international stage by declaring that he stands neither in favour of India nor China but is unequivocally pro-Sri Lanka.

Wickremesinghe was addressing the Islands Dialogue, a conference hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation that convened leaders from Pacific island nations yesterday, on the sidelines of the UN’s General Assembly in New York.  “Some time back a person asked me whether I am pro-Indian or pro-Chinese, so I said definitely I am not pro-Indian, and added by saying I am also not pro-Chinese. So he asked me, then, are you neutral? I said no I’m not neutral, I’m pro-Sri Lanka,” Wickremesinghe asserted. 

Wickremesinghe stressed that many countries do not understand the fact that Sri Lanka’s priorities today are not the same as those of the ‘big powers’ and the others within the region. He maintained that countries such as Sri Lanka are focused on their own priorities, including social, economic, and ecological development and seek to maintain their sovereignty and independence. 

“Island nations in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific have distinct priorities, unrelated to the Quad (US, India, Japan, and Australia) or China’s objectives, “ he said. 

The President highlighted Sri Lanka’s readiness to collaborate with both State and non-State actors that support the country in achieving these objectives.

“Sri Lanka is open to collaboration with any partner willing to respect its autonomy,” he added. Wickremesinghe also emphasised Sri Lanka’s extensive historical connections with the world lasting over 2500 years, owing to its strategic geographical location.

While the President acknowledged the expansion of the Indo-Sino-US rivalry into the Indian Ocean and South Pacific regions, he expressed bewilderment as to why Sri Lanka has been drawn into this geopolitical competition.

Wickremesinghe admitted that while Sri Lanka is strategic in its diplomatic relations, it has not formed any military alliances with China or any other country. 

He reassured, however, that Sri Lanka is not engaging in a strategy of ‘hedging back and forth’ to maximise benefits from any particular party. “Throughout our island, we have to deal with all powers that come in. We may have played one against the other, but that is for our survival,” he said. 

“It is the inability to understand the nature of the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific which is creating this. None of the countries involved seem to understand what our geopolitics are, and what we do,” he added. 

During the discussion with Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Senior Vice President for Policy Research Dan Baer, Wickremesinghe also labelled the AUKUS pact as a military alliance. He expressed his opinion that this arrangement is unnecessary and may ultimately have adverse consequences for the US, Australia, and the UK. 

“I think it’s a strategic misstep, and I think they made a mistake,” Wickremesinghe said.