India’s rising leadership role in the region, growing engagement with Asean and within forums such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is helping to protect the common interests of India and its southern island neighbour Sri Lanka.
The increasing interdependence of India and Sri Lanka across many fronts reflects common strategic interests. For its part, Sri Lanka is pursuing a new foreign policy direction in light of the increasing importance of collaboration between South and East Asia, mainly focusing on commercial diplomacy with India.
As the largest nation in South Asia, India considers Sri Lanka important to its own geopolitical and trade interests and in promoting a “Neighbourhood First” policy. A deeper commitment to Sri Lanka is also reflected in India’s strategic vision for the Indian Ocean, which was first outlined in…
