Russia may help Sri Lanka keep the Indian Ocean peaceful amid the escalation of tensions between China and India, with whom both Colombo and Moscow maintain good relations, Admiral Ravindra Chandrasiri Wijegunaratne, the former сhief of defence staff of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and the Sri Lankan Navy's commander, told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st December, 2020) Russia may help Sri Lanka keep the Indian Ocean peaceful amid the escalation of tensions between China and India, with whom both Colombo and Moscow maintain good relations, Admiral Ravindra Chandrasiri Wijegunaratne, the former сhief of defence staff of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and the Sri Lankan Navy's commander, told Sputnik.
"The escalation of China-India conflict impacts not only Sri Lanka, but the whole region. It will not be limited to the area of dispute - the border region - but will impact global trade. Any disruption global supply chain and energy will result in global economic repercussions which will affect us all ... Russia can help the Sri Lankan foreign policy to keep status of Indian Ocean a 'zone of peace' within a clear legal and security framework," Wijegunaratne said.
Sri Lanka is sticking to the non-aligned foreign policy and sees the importance of maintaining good relations with India and China, its major trade partners, the former military official noted.
"Being neutral allows Sri Lanka to have a much more flexible foreign policy, like India. The word 'neutrality' came to be our foreign policy mainly due to India's traditional policy shift to a non-aligned movement as it was limited in flexibility and action when dealing with China and when there is no clear power blocks like in the Cold War," Wijegunaratne said.
Russia, on its part, should continue its efforts to mediate the conflict between India and China as it enjoys a balanced approach towards maintaining relations with the both countries, according to the admiral.
"Russia can mediate concerns of both countries with a balanced diplomatic effort on equal terms. The leadership initiative is necessary to maintain a favorable international order, in which the exercise of great power competition is constrained or regulated through multilateral institutions, rules and norms," Wijegunaratne stressed.
Border conflicts are a permanent fixture of India-China relations, as the countries do not have a marked border but rather the Line of Actual Control, created after the 1962 war between the nations. However, the tensions became more strained as a result of skirmishes that started in late May between the countries' border forces. Despite the countries' diplomats and military officials engaging in talks to de-escalate tensions, both sides have continued to boost their forces in the region.
