(MENAFN- Colombo Gazette) Sri Lanka says the ill-advised judgment of the US in supporting the Gaza war will diminish its influence in the region.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the hostility of the countries forming the Islamic Arch in the Indian Ocean will prevent any close rapprochement with the US for some time.
He said the Russian, Chinese and Iranian strategies are successfully biting at the US hegemony thereby further weakening the US.
The President also said that the Indian Ocean stability requires an early end to the Gaza war followed by the establishment within 5 years of an Independent Palestine State and guarantees for the security of the state of Israel.
The President expressed these views at the 7th edition of the Indian Ocean Conference in Perth, Australia.
“The Ukrainian war, and the consequent Western sanctions on Russia has resulted in the resource rich economy finding new markets in China and the Western Indian Ocean. For e.g. Russian Crude Oil is refined in the Gulf refineries. Dubai has replaced London as the financial centre for the oligarchs. Russia has developed a closer friendship with Iran, which is an important source of supply for drones. Russia is carrying on naval exercises with Indian Ocean countries, including Myanmar and South Africa,” the President said.
He said China has played an active role in healing the rift between Iran and Saudi Arabia while Iran and its allies have become important players in West Asia.
The President also said that the recent attacks on commercial vessels by the Yemen-based Houthi rebels, is a challenge to the 'Freedom of Navigation'.
“We have to ensure access and mobility in the Suez Canal, Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden. In addition, we also face the threat of Somali Pirates, once again. The safety of undersea cables and critical infrastructure are also facing additional threats. The presence of drugs in the Indian Ocean and Human Smuggling has increased. IUU fishing still takes place. These threats present challenges to the Freedom of Navigation. We need to refocus on the freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka offers to recommence the discussions on the Freedom of Nation in the Indian Ocean,” the President said.
The Sri Lankan President also said that experts have revealed that the Indian Ocean is warming at a higher rate than the other oceans around the world.
The levels of warming are estimated to be three times higher than in the Pacific Ocean and coastal areas across the IOR will experience continuous rise in sea levels and face severe coastal erosion.
The Indian Ocean is also rising at a level of 3.7 millimetres annually and extreme sea disasters are inevitable. (Colombo Gazette)
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