President stands firm, declines U.S. request

• U.S. sought Sri Lanka’s permission to land two fighter jets in Mattala while Iran made a similar request on the same day for three of its warships make port call in Colombo 
• The fighter jets were armed with eight anti-ship missiles 
• If Sri Lanka had given permission to a particular country, it would have compromised Sri Lanka’s overall neutrality
• We consistently advocate for justice and fairness on the international stage and our actions reflect this principle

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera 

Amidst controversy over recent Iranian naval ships in Sri Lanka, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday revealed that the United States had requested on February 26 to land two U.S. Navy fighter jets at Mattala International Airport on the same day when Iran requested that three Iranian naval ships to pay a goodwill visit to Colombo port and that Sri Lanka declined both requests to maintain neutrality. 

The President told Parliament that if Sri Lanka had given permission to a particular country, it would have compromised Sri Lanka’s overall neutrality and it would have brought a military conflict, which was distant from our region, closer to Mattala and the Port of Colombo. 

“Iran requested our permission on February 26 to pay a good will visit on March 9 and 13. We were in the process of reviewing this request for approval. On the same evening, the United States also requested permission for two military aircraft to land at Mattala International Airport. We took a clear and firm decision based on our policy of maintaining neutrality. At that time, there were already indications of escalating military tensions. We did not grant approval for either of these requests. Some questioned why permission was not granted to the Iranian vessels. Had we done so, it would have compromised our overall neutrality. Furthermore, it would have brought a military conflict, which was distant from our region, closer to Mattala and the Port of Colombo. Regardless of the pressures faced, we acted to safeguard the country and preserve our neutrality,” he said. 

The President said some have argued that Sri Lanka has entered into a defence agreement with the United States and therefore cannot avoid becoming a party to the conflict. 

“This is incorrect. There is no provision within that agreement that relates to our position in such a war or obliges us to take part in it. The agreement covers areas such as aviation-related activities, training programmes associated with maintenance services, awareness of maritime domains, cyber security and secure communications, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster response. We have clearly maintained and continue to uphold established international policies and principles,” he said. 

The President said a proposal concerning these attacks was recently brought before the United Nations Security Council and that Sri Lanka did not extend the agreement, as Sri Lanka considered it to be incomplete whereas many States expressed their support for the proposal. 

“We consistently advocate for justice and fairness on the international stage and our actions reflect this principle. In all our activities, policies, decisions and engagements, we have ensured that our neutrality is maintained. In such a conflict situation, this is the approach through which we can safeguard the identity and dignity of our motherland, as well as uphold its international recognition,” he said.