Sarath Wijesinghe (President’s Counsel, Senior Solicitor, former  Ambassador to UAE and Israel, President Ambassador’s Forum UK / Sri Lanka)

Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy of a state in the family of Nations is how it acts and reacts in matters of policy economics, and behaviour , with the rest of the world and international organizations led by the United Nations. Nations give special attention and priority to foreign policy due to the importance of the subject for the successful existence in the family of nations they live in. USA gives top priority to the formulation and application of foreign policy based on main four criteria towards and beneficial towards USA friendly foreign policy that entangles with the economy, international relations, aiming at prosperity and development of USA followed by major powers as well as small nations as they too are bound to maintain international relations with the rest of the world for their on benefit and survival. Foreign Policy of a nation is carefully formulated and followed for the benefit of the country promoting the image and policies of the country that benefits the respective nations that benefits all the members of the world family for their economic and all other kinds of activities promoting their countries an all areas. Small countries too must give special emphasises on foreign policy as they depend on the world for their existence as living in isolation is impossible in the modern world that are closely interconnected and interwoven in all respects, that applies Sri Lanka being a comparatively small Island in the complicated and modern world at the door steps of digital Artificial Intelligence  age.

Sri Lanka friendly foreign policy

Sri Lanka foreign policy is very broad friendly and compatible with the modern current and universal world trends to maintain and enhance friendly ties and foreign relations, that benefits Sri Lanka as a Sri Lanka friendly foreign policy that benefits the people of Sri Lanka and  Sri Lankans. In nutshell it is based on the principles friendly towards all enormity towards none practised over thousands of years in Sri Lanka  especially from 1950 with the declaration principles and application  of non alignment subsequently better practised as the leader of the non alignment movement cementing the principle of NAM active to date. At  this unstable and volatile situations in the world with signs and threats on another worldwar it is the duty of all members of the United Nations to be extremely cautious and act with restrain to avoid a calamity that will have drastic results with the modern and sophisticated weaponry and modern technology. Sri Lanka though a small nation is a senior member of the UN and has actively participated in world affairs involved and participated in peace building promoting peace and reconciliation, may play a positive role in peace and a new era on foreign relations that will benefit the world to prosper economically and and all other ways.

Collection of strategies on foreign policy and relations

Foreign Policy is a collection of strategies country uses to guide it’s relations with the rest of the world that world watches carefully before talking any steps with the respective member and it is obvious the state will have to take great care in formulating and pronouncing the policy that are bound to change with the movement of the rest of the world whose interest would be themselves and economic and political benefits at an cost in the interest of their respective nations. Diplomatically the newly elected government is bound to take over liabilities of the previous governance and bound to carry on the foreign policies with extreme caution and great care on formulation of new policies without antagonizing those who engaged with the nation based on may be on different policies and strategies.

Conduct of foreign policy

It is the head of the State or the foreign minister ( with the advice of the head of the state) who will conduct and apply foreign policy to suit the nation which is an extremely arduous task, Sri Lanka managed most of the time historically. With the economic downturn and volatile political situation in the world and bitter and unwise steps taken by the predecessors the task appear to have been difficult to the current Minister and the regime appear to be managing the situation quite successfully in the current and difficult context. When Indian ocean is important for all world powers and powerful neighbours independent Sri Lanka placed strategically on the main silk route is sandwiched with requests and demands by many, it is time for Sri Lanka to strengthened foreign policy and relations and be firm on Sri Lanka friendly policy which is strategically and arduous task. World and regional powers including India, China, USA, USSR , and even Pakistan including Indian ocean rim countries have  direct and indirect interest on Indian Ocean and obviously trying to influence small nations such an Sri Lanka and Maldives islands and to prevent the pressure the best weapon would be a stable firm and a correct foreign policy and a stable governance.

Challenges to the current regime and the foreign minister

Challenges are immense considering the high expectations of the people who has taken a bold collective decision and the family of states awaiting the conduct of the new government with not much experience and reputation. The current governance is bound by previous decisions with the other members of the world family and international originations which includes IMF taking independent and firm decisions  become still difficult, yet it appears the new Minister has managed general and specific reasonably well and obviously he needs bit more time and experience to deliver. But as economy politics and international relations are interconnected and interwoven the task f the governance and the minister is still difficult. Ambassador’s forum and 13 volumes on foreign policy with topics including Sri Lanka foreign policy is available on Google Drive to be viewed free to the public with 600 chapters on varied topics and subjects and you are invited to browse the internet and be in touch the Ambassador’s Forum for further details which is offered free to any world citizen.