Sagala Ratnayaka, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the President on National Security, has released a bold vision for the Indian Ocean region that emphasises Sri Lanka’s crucial role in determining the future of this strategically important region.
The reveal, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD), took place during a historic discussion on Tuesday (12) in Colombo. Renowned individuals, including President Ranil Wickremesinghe, former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, and senior diplomats, were present at the ceremony.
Ratnayaka participated in the Geopolitical Cartographer conversation on the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific dimensions of recent high-level visits as the discussion’s keynote speaker. He started the conversation by stressing how the Indian Ocean had significantly changed from being only a route for marine trade to a worldwide hub for security, economy, environmental concerns, social challenges, and geopolitical interests. In addition, he stressed the need for the implementation of a strong reform agenda that, with its focus on a free and open Indo-Pacific, has the potential to bring harmony to the Indian Ocean. However, he also noted that the national interests of individual states have a considerable impact on the global system.
The promotion of a free and open Indo-Pacific, which includes maritime safety and security, protection of undersea cables, combating illegal fishing and trafficking, addressing human trafficking, and tackling environmental issues, such as disaster relief and maritime pollution, is one of Sri Lanka’s main foreign policy objectives in the area. Ratnayaka emphasised the significance of stability and progress via reform and called attention to Sri Lanka’s obligations in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
