The Indo-Lanka relationship has always had a security and geopolitical dynamic. This has been a millennia-old dynamic which both nations have had to deal with. The visit by Sri Lanka’s new president Anura Kumara Dissanayake was as much about security relations as it was about trade, support and all other things bilateral. Dissanayake, who some feared will align with China, has been quick to signal otherwise, especially to India. However, these are early days of the Dissanayake-NPP Government, and much is to be learnt on how they will govern and if they will recalibrate the island nation's foreign policy. For a small island nation, which is literally on its knees, economically speaking, and struggling to regain its footing, strategic miscommunication can lead to chaos. This is more so today, as the world slips back to ‘Cold War’ era posturing and bloc formations. Sri Lanka must get its communications right. It is too early to study how effective Sri Lankan strategic communications were in New Delhi, let us hope that Colombo got it right. Despite the pomp and pageantry and the warm welcome, questions linger about Colombo’s trajectory.

The lead up to the three-day visit by the Sri Lanka President to New Delhi was fraught with distractions for the novice NPP Government, with preparations sidetracked by credibility crisis within its ranks, and an embarrassing situation which led to their first Speaker of the house, stepping down. This, it is learnt, led to crucial matters such as a decision on how to proceed with the one-year-long moratorium on Marine Scientific Research (MSR) being not properly enacted and communicated before the visit to New Delhi. With the deadline for the moratorium ending on 31 December, Sri Lanka needs to have a game plan in place, and communicate it effectively so that regional and extra-regional powers don’t get too agitated. It is also learnt that key decisions regarding the planned successions of senior military leadership was also pushed to the back burner as the Government got ‘all hands-on deck’ to damage control with the ‘Speaker Ranwala’s credibility crisis’.

However, it was left to the Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath who attempted to respond to a question posed about the MSR ‘situation’ during  a reception at the India Foundation at India Habitat Center in New Delhi yesterday (17) where he said that Sri Lanka wants a national policy about MSR related issues, and have decided to appoint a committee to submit a report. It remains unclear if Sri Lanka will extend the moratorium while the report is being prepared. If so, it should have been clearly communicated to India. Minister Herath stressed that Sri Lanka was aware of India's security and geopolitical concerns, and reiterated the island nation's long standing policy on now permitting Sri Lankan territory to be used to pose a security threat to its neighbour. "Given the geographic proximity of the two countries, the strategic and security interests and concerns are closely interlinked and security and defence cooperation is a pivotal aspect of our relationship. We are friends with all and share a close bond of friendship with our neighbour. We understand the importance of India’s security and geopolitical concerns and reassure that Sri Lanka will not permit its territory to be used in any manner inimical to the security of India as well as towards regional stability. In this regard, Sri Lanka will continue to have an open, transparent dialogue with India. I also emphasise the need for Sri Lanka and India to work together on global issues such as terrorism and climate change for which regional and multilateral approaches are required. As we all are aware, a single country or nation individually cannot win the war against these two problems. Our two countries will continue to work together in taking forward our close partnership, demonstrating the highest level of cooperation. The responses that we received in that regard during this visit have been extremely encouraging and pleasing. I leave India with a warm feeling of brotherhood, enhanced friendship and neighborliness,” Herath said.

While the Government will likely trumpet the visit as a success, key issues regarding geopolitical issues and Sri Lanka’s standing on such issues remain clouded. Such an approach is likely to be detrimental to Sri Lanka’s forward movement, given the weak position it finds itself in. As such, the Government should give foreign policy and strategic communications the due priority it deserves.