Sri Lanka has blocked the entry of US military aircraft into its territory. In the parliament, the President explained the reasons and connections with the effort to maintain neutrality.
Sri Lanka has refused to grant the United States permission to station two American military aircraft at a civilian airport in the south of the island. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced this in parliament on Friday, TASR reports, according to a report by AFP.
- Sri Lanka has rejected a US request for military aircraft.
- It also refused permission for three Iranian warships.
- She wanted to maintain neutrality and not favor any side.
- Parliament applauded the president’s decision.
“On March 4-8, they wanted to transport two military aircraft armed with eight anti-ship missiles from a base in Djibouti to Mattala International Airport, but we refused,” Dissanayake said.
The United States filed the request on February 26. However, Sri Lanka rejected it in order to maintain the country’s neutrality and ensure that its territory is not used for any military purposes that could benefit any party, the president clarified. On the same day as the US, Iran made a similar request to allow three of its warships, which were returning from India after naval exercises, to dock at the port.
They maintained their neutrality
“We were still considering Iran’s request for these three ships to arrive in Colombo from March 9 to 13. But if we say ‘yes’ to Iran, we would have to say ‘yes’ to the United States as well,” the Sri Lankan president said.
“But we have not done that. We steadfastly maintain our position of neutrality,” Dissanayake stressed. According to AFP, after his words there was applause in the 225-member parliament.
The agency recalls that on March 4, the United States attacked the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena near the southern coast of Sri Lanka. At least 84 sailors were killed, while 32 others were rescued by Sri Lankan authorities. A second Iranian ship – the IRIS Bushehr – was allowed to enter Sri Lankan waters the next day out of concern for the safety of its 219-member crew. Since then, it has been located in the capital of the country – in Colombo. Sri Lanka maintains close relations with both the United States and Iran. While Washington represents its largest export market, Tehran is a key buyer of tea, the island’s main export commodity, AFP recalled.
