Sri Lanka opposition leader Premadasa backs India for UNSC seat

Sri Lanka’s Leader of Opposition, Samagi Jana Balawegaya Sajith Premadasa, backed New Delhi’s bid for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), while addressing WION’s Global Innovation and Leadership Summit held in Colombo on Saturday.

Emphasising Colombo’s strategic outlook, the leader described New Delhi as an indispensable partner for Colombo’s future.

Premadasa said the relationship between the two neighbours should be viewed as a pathway to mutual growth, built on historical and cultural linkages.

“The relationship between Sri Lanka and India must never be viewed through the prism of competition, but rather embraced as a tremendous opportunity for mutual prosperity,” Sri Lanka’s LoP said during the event.

“India’s historic rise in manufacturing, its leaps in digital technology, and its expanding global economic influence are not a challenge to Sri Lanka. But rather, we consider it as a gateway for our own future collaboration and progress. We believe in nurturing a special strategic relationship with India, one that is built on deep-rooted historical and cultural connections, and one that forms the fundamental bedrock of our foreign policy,” he added.

“It is precisely because of this unshakeable bond that I have consistently and vocally supported India’s long-pending bid for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC),” the leader said.

“Incorporating India into the United Nations Security Council is not merely a diplomatic courtesy. It is a practical recognition of the realities of contemporary international politics. You simply cannot marginalise nor ignore India on the global stage,” he continued.

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Meanwhile, speaking about regional cooperation, the Sri Lankan opposition leader called for renewed efforts to “revitalise” the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

“Furthermore, we must actively work to revitalize institutions such as South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation to foster dialogue, promote conflict resolution, and enhance regional solidarity,” he added.

The leader further said, “With our regional security anchored by this strategic partnership, we can focus our energies on domestic economic transformation. My vision for Sri Lanka is bold, but it is entirely within our grasp.”

“A future government under our leadership will aggressively pursue a sweeping digital transformation driven by the ambition to construct a 30 billion US dollar digital economy between 2030 and 2035,” Sri Lanka’s LoP said.

“To realise a digital economy of this sheer magnitude and to position Sri Lanka as a true capital and hub of innovation, we cannot rely on the frameworks of the past. We must actively modernise our legislative and regulatory architecture,” he further emphasised.