Sri Lanka Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to geopolitical neutrality and non-alignment, saying conflicts such as the war in the Middle East “serve no one”.Speaking to CNN’s Richard Quest, Amarasuriya said Sri Lanka’s geographical position in the Indian Ocean made it important for the country to stay clear of geopolitical conflicts amid rising global tensions.She stressed that avoiding entanglement in international power struggles was essential for Sri Lanka’s national interests and economic stability, particularly as the country faces the impact of rising fuel prices and global energy costs.

The Prime Minister acknowledged that maintaining balanced relations with major powers, including China, India and the United States, had historically been a key challenge for Sri Lanka’s foreign policy.She said aligning too closely with any single power had not worked to Sri Lanka’s advantage, underscoring the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy amid growing international tensions.Turning to the country’s economic recovery following the severe financial crisis in 2022, Amarasuriya said Sri Lanka had made significant progress through fiscal discipline, structural reforms and efforts to combat corruption.

She also explained her government’s decision to continue with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, despite earlier political criticism of the arrangement.Amarasuriya said the program was already in place when her administration assumed office and that discussions with IMF representatives had revealed common ground on fiscal discipline and governance reforms.