Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute

  Figure 1. Regional Cooperative mechanisms in place for Indian Ocean Today’s global geo-strategic environment is based on maritime activity; and matters maritime are embedded from economies to governance. Thus, as islanders it is indeed   important for the population to   understand the need of   navy in today’s global context. The above figure 1. illustrates   some of the regional cooperative mechanisms of global scale available in the Indian Ocean region and it is pertinent to note that the Sri Lanka Navy (SL Navy) is directly or indirectly involved as a   partner in   these maritime cooperative mechanisms. In today’s geo-strategic posture and in diplomacy , the Navy is  continuing to be an integral and valuable component. Naval prowess is in fact a deciding criterion of  diplomacy, and Gunboat Diplomacy is a terminology that originated through this necessity. During the cold-war era it was the naval might that flexed muscle  to carry...

The Easter Sunday bomb attacks exposed the defects and shortcomings of Sri Lanka’s security establishment.   A series of coordinated bombings on that day rocked Sri Lanka, killing at least 257 people and wounding 500 others. The attacks, carried out by two Muslim extremist groups were the deadliest the island has witnessed since the end of its civil war 10 years ago. The attacks targeted three churches as well as four hotels in the Western Province. Since 2009, Sri Lanka enjoyed a negative peace. Having ended a war that lasted close to 30 years, the bomb blasts evidently caught people by surprise. The prospect of encountering terrorism of this nature appears to have not been registered even within the security establishment of Sri Lanka. Security experts, since 2009 in particular, have focussed on the maritime security aspect of Sri Lanka’s security and as a consequence failed to notice the emergence of internal security threats. Lately, public criticism has been d...

“Wars begin when diplomacy ends”, the famous quote by Adolf Hitler, has always been a forceful reminder of the imperative importance of diplomacy as a strategy in the world arena. The importance of diplomacy as a war deterrent is of significant importance in the modern geopolitical arena. In the modern nuclearized world, war is not an option.   As it was stated in the Einstein-Russell manifesto, “what assurance do we have that agreements made in times of peace, would be honored during times of war”. Furthermore recent developments in the international stage have showcased the importance of diplomatic dialogue in maintaining the stability of a region, before conflict followed by ensuing turmoil erupts. Thus, these few points alone showcase the importance of diplomacy. Niche Diplomacy is a form of strategy which comes under the category of soft power. Soft power as opposed to the hard power of military and economic strength, moves to resolve issues through the application of ...

Competition is a natural byproduct of major powers navigating an anarchic world. Small states operating in such a milieu, however, face a policy dilemma when strategizing their foreign policy. Sri Lanka, sitting in the epicenter of the arc connecting the Persian Gulf to the Strait of Malacca, has captured international attention as a key battleground between Beijing and New Delhi in their tussle for influence in South Asia. While some scholars argue that the island is a personification of China’s “debt trap diplomacy,” others contend that it should not be a poster child of falling into a Chinese “debt trap,” as debt to China is less than 15 percent of Sri Lanka’s total external debt. Concerns over Sri Lanka’s sovereignty have been rife following the $1.12 billion debt-to-equity swap that saw Hambantota port handed over to China and the proposed lease of the Mattala International Airport to India. Sri Lanka is in no position to break off economic ties with either power. Accordi...

Sri Lanka’s foreign policy has often been termed as being fundamentally nonaligned. But what does ‘nonaligned’ really mean in the post-cold war era? Since the end of the cold war, academic and scholarly publications have oft criticized the ambiguity surrounding both the term and the membership of the nonaligned movement. In this brief speech I don't intend to discuss or decipher what form of nonalignment Sri Lanka followed in the past. I'm sure the diplomats present here today have a better understanding than I do of the varied nuances of previous administrations foreign policy. Instead I intend to re-define the meaning of nonalignment as I perceive in the present administration’s foreign policy.  The present administration of Sri Lanka is focused on building amicable relations with all countries. This has been repeatedly iterated by the president, prime minster and the foreign minister on numerous occasions. I believe that the present administration has redefined...