The Hon. Vijitha Herath

¶ 01 Okay, thank you. It is false to say the attack occurred because we denied permission. The request was made on 26 February to visit Sri Lanka on 9 March; the attack took place on the 4th. We fulfilled all obligations under international maritime law. We are maintaining friendly relations with Iran, Jordan, the GCC, and other Middle Eastern countries. The President has engaged leaders of those countries—yesterday he spoke with the Emir of Qatar. We are not supporting any party to the conflict; our foreign policy remains steady and non-aligned. We advocate for global peace.

¶ 02 A recent UN Security Council resolution was not balanced. Though we are a small country, we took a clear position and said we would not support an imbalanced proposal. Both parties to the conflict bear responsibility; accusations cannot be one-sided. The war must be halted by all sides. We have presented our position firmly while safeguarding our neutrality. Internationally, we have never spoken against our own country.

¶ 03 We have emphasized issues like the Blue Economy, climate change, and maritime security—the breakdown in security is at the root of this problem. We continue to provide for the rescued Iranian sailors and will repatriate them according to international law, acting without partisanship. We maintain relations with Iran and also conduct transactions with the U.S.

¶ 04 As to U.S. relations, we have reduced punitive duties through diplomacy. We are balancing relations evenly and will not shy away from necessary engagements. On fuel, we are in talks with China, Russia, and India. While these countries themselves face difficulties, many stand ready to help us. We will secure that assistance.

¶ 05 There is an impact on tourism and remittances, and delays at the airport for outbound workers; we will face it. The hotel industry and exporters face strain; we are preparing relief. As a responsible Government, we are planning and implementing measures daily to protect the people and lead the country through this global oil and war-related crisis. We are fully committed.

¶ 06 Thank you.