Sri Lanka will follow India first policy, says Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage
Colombo [Sri Lanka], Aug 24 (ANI): Sri Lanka's Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage on Monday said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa believes in India first policy along with pursuing a neutral foreign policy.
ANI
Aug 24, 2020 23:59 IST
Colombo [Sri Lanka], Aug 24 (ANI): Sri Lanka's Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage on Monday said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa believes in India first policy along with pursuing a neutral foreign policy.
"President has stated that in terms of strategic security we will follow India first policy because we can not afford to be a strategic security threat to India and we don't have to be. We need to benefit from India," Colombage told Strat News Global in an interview.
"President has clearly said that you are our first priority as far as security is concerned but I have to deal with other players for economic prosperity," he said.
Along with pursuing a neutral foreign policy, Sri Lanka will protect India's strategic interests, he added.
During the interview, the Foreign Secretary also said that the decision to give Hambantota port on a 99-year lease to China was "a mistake".
He said China holds "roughly 85 per cent stake and Sri Lanka has a stake of only 15 per cent in it".
The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) secured emphatic victory in the parliamentary election held recently. (ANI)
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