Sajith Premadasa said Sri Lanka faces “enormous challenges” and must rethink its ties with India.
He pledged Sri Lanka’s support for India’s national security interests and closer cooperation.
Premadasa described India as a “superpower” deserving a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Facing what he described as “enormous challenges”, Sri Lanka’s Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa on Tuesday called for a forward-looking approach to ties with India, stressing that the relationship should move beyond “parochial thinking”.
Speaking at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in New Delhi, Premadasa said Sri Lanka remained committed to safeguarding India’s national security interests and underscored the importance of viewing the bilateral relationship as mutually beneficial. “It is our sincere belief that the Sri Lanka-India relationship should be seen as an opportunity and not as a threat,” he said, according to PTI.
Premadasa also described India as a “superpower that should have its rightful place in the United Nations Security Council as a permanent member”, PTI reported. He urged both countries to “think anew and think afar” in order to strengthen cooperation amid regional and global shifts.
(With inputs from PTI)
