Foreign relations of Sri Lanka refers to the diplomatic and commercial relations between Sri Lanka and other countries. Sri Lanka has stressed its principle of "friendship towards all, enmity towards none" in its diplomacy.
Since the 1950s, Sri Lanka has followed a non-aligned foreign policy, which does not take sides with major powers.Patrick Peebles, The History of Sri Lanka (Greenwood, 2005), p. 118. Since the end of the Cold War in Asia, the country has pursued better relations with all major powers and seeks to strengthen its diplomatic, economic and military ties with China, India, Pakistan, Russia, the United States, Japan, South Korea and the European Union. Sri Lanka has also forged close ties with the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), African Union and Arab League.
Sri Lanka participates in multilateral diplomacy, particularly at the United Nations, where it seeks to promote sovereignty, independence, and development in the developing world. Sri Lanka was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). It also is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (as dialogue partner) and the Colombo Plan. Sri Lanka continues its active participation in the NAM, while also stressing the importance it places on regionalism by playing a strong role in SAARC.
History The goal of Sri Lanka's foreign policy is to maintain a strong, independent, powerful and unitary Sri Lanka, whose foreign policy establishment maintains it in achieving that goal.
Sri Lanka's foreign policy has been founded in the national interest. In a period of rapid and continuing change, foreign policy can respond optimally to new challenges and opportunities. It has to be an integral part of the larger effort of building the nation's capabilities through economic development, strengthening social fabric and well-being of the people and protecting Sri Lanka's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Sri Lanka's foreign policy is a forward-looking engagement with the rest of the world, based on a rigorous, realistic and contemporary assessment of the bilateral, regional and global geo-political and economic milieu.
Military The Sri Lanka Armed Forces are the overall unified military of Sri Lanka and encompass the Sri Lanka Army, Navy, and Air Force, which come under the Ministry of Defence (MOD). They receive military support mainly from China, Russia, India, Pakistan and Israel. The United States also gives limited support.
Diplomatic relations Following is a list of countries Sri Lanka maintains diplomatic relations with: #CountryDate12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849505152535455565758596061626364656667686970717273747576—777879808182838485868788899091929394959697—9899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178
Bilateral relations Africa Country Formal Relations BeganNotes1970See Kenya–Sri Lanka relations16 September 1994See South Africa–Sri Lanka relations
Americas Country Formal Relations BeganNotes29 July 1959See Cuba–Sri Lanka relations19 April 1960See Mexico–Sri Lanka relations
Mexico is accredited to Sri Lanka from its embassy in New Delhi, India, and maintains an honorary consulate in Colombo. Sri Lanka is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, DC, United States, and maintains an honorary consulate in Mexico City.23 October 1948See Sri Lanka–United States relations
The US Embassy in Sri Lanka is located in Colombo, as are the US Agency for International Development offices and Public Affairs offices. IBB offices are located near Chilaw, 75 km north of Colombo. Sri Lankan Embassy is located in Washington, DC.
Asia Country Formal Relations BeganNotes12 February 1992See Foreign relations of Armenia
Armenia is accredited to Sri Lanka from its embassy in New Delhi, India. Sri Lanka is accredited to Armenia from its embassy in Moscow, Russia. See Azerbaijan–Sri Lanka relations
Azerbaijan is accredited to Sri Lanka from its embassy in New Delhi, India. Sri Lanka is accredited to Azerbaijan from its embassy in Tehran, Iran.1972See Bangladesh – Sri Lanka relations13 May 1987 Diplomatic relations began in 1987. The ambassador of the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi is accredited to Bhutan. The ambassador of the Bhutanese Embassy in Dhaka is accredited to Sri Lanka. Bhutan has an honorary consulate in Colombo.7 February 1957See China–Sri Lanka relations4 February 1948See India–Sri Lanka relations
Bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and India have been generally friendly but were affected by the Sri Lankan civil war and by the failure of the Indian Peace Keeping Force during the civil war. India is Sri Lanka's only neighbour, separated by the Palk Strait. Both nations occupy a strategic position in South Asia and have sought to build a common security umbrella in the Indian Ocean.India's Sri Lankan scars. BBC News (4 May 2000). Retrieved 12 November 2011.
Relations between India and Sri Lanka relations have undergone a qualitative and quantitative transformation in the recent past. Political relations are close, trade and investments have increased dramatically, infrastructural linkages are constantly being augmented, defence collaboration has increased and there is a general, broad-based improvement across all sectors of bilateral cooperation. India was the first country to respond to Sri Lanka's request for assistance after the tsunami in December 2004. In July 2006, India evacuated 430 Sri Lankan nationals from Lebanon, first to Cyprus by Indian Navy ships and then to Delhi & Colombo by special Air India flights.
There exists a broad consensus within the Sri Lankan polity on the primacy of India in Sri Lanka's external relations matrix. Both major political parties in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the United Nationalist Party, have contributed to the rapid development of bilateral relations in the last ten years. Sri Lanka has supported India's candidature to the permanent membership of the UN Security Council.Brief on India-Sri Lanka Relations, Ministry of External Affairs (BSM Division: Sri Lanka)6 August 1952See Indonesia–Sri Lanka relations
Indonesia has an embassy in Colombo. Sri Lanka has an embassy in Jakarta.1961See Iran–Sri Lanka relations
Iran and Sri Lanka have had official diplomatic relations since 1961.Sri Lanka – Iran Bilateral Relations Embassy of Sri Lanka in Iran
Diplomatic relations between Iran and Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon) began in 1961 via the Ceylonese embassy in Islamabad, which was the closest Ceylon had to a presence on Iranian soil until the opening of the Tehran embassy office in 1990. Tehran set up its Colombo office in 1975.
After Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became President of Iran, Sri Lanka was the first country he visited on his inaugural Asian tour.The Group of 15 (G- 15) Government of Sri Lanka – 14 May 2010 Mahinda Rajapaksa also made ties with Iran a priority after he ascended to office.Sri Lanka, Iran mutual friends – Minister Daily News.lk – 20 February 201022 February 1961See Sri Lanka–Iraq relations
Sri Lanka has an embassy in Baghdad Iraq has an embassy in Colombo. Iraq was the largest buyer of Sri Lankan tea during the reign of Saddam Hussein. Ties between Sri Lanka and Iraq were disrupted during the Iraq War. However, in 2018 Iraq re-emerged as the largest buyer of Sri Lankan Tea.1 June 1956See Israel–Sri Lanka relations
Sri Lanka has a close relationship with Israel, and its military is a major user of Israeli weapons systems that include the IAI Kfir Fighter Jet, the Super Dvora Mk III class Patrol Vessel, and the Gabriel missile. In May 2011, the Israeli Minister of Agriculture visited Sri Lanka with an agro-business delegation to promote cooperation between the two countries.28 April 1952See Japan – Sri Lanka relations
During the Second World War, an air raid was carried out by Japan to bomb the city of Colombo in Sri Lanka. Later, relations between Japan and Sri Lanka became friendly, and they established official relations in 1952. Japan has an embassy in Colombo. Sri Lanka has an embassy in Tokyo. Sri Lankan President JR Jayawardene played a major role in re-admitting Japan to the world community at the San Francisco ConferenceOctober 1957See Malaysia–Sri Lanka relations
Malaysia has a high commission in Colombo, and Sri Lanka has a high commission in Kuala Lumpur.26 July 1965See Maldives–Sri Lanka relations1 July 1957Foreign relations of Nepal
Nepal and Sri Lanka established diplomatic relations on 1 July 1957. Nepal opened an honorary consulate general in Colombo in 1975 and established its embassy in 1995. Sri Lanka has a residential embassy in Kathmandu since 1993. Around sixty thousand Sri Lankans visit Lumbini annually to pay homage to Gautam Buddha's birthplace Lumbini, so Government of Sri Lanka has built a rest house and constructed a Buddhist monastery complex in Lumbini.
Following the April 2015 Nepal earthquake, Sri Lanka was one of the first three countries to send medical and search-and-rescue teams to the country. The Sri Lanka Air Force|Aiorce sent flights of C-130 Hercules aircraft, and SriLankan Airlines sent Airbus A330 aircraft, carrying Sri Lanka Army emergency teams.May 1948See Pakistan–Sri Lanka relationsApril 1982See Palestine–Sri Lanka relations Palestine has very close ties to Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka has made monetary donations to Palestine on various occasions. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena also assured that Sri Lanka is committed to stand by the struggle for independence of the Palestinian people. There is an embassy for the state of Palestine in Colombo.17 April 1958See Philippines–Sri Lanka relations 14 November 1977see South Korea–Sri Lanka relations
Diplomatic relations between both nations were established on 14 November 1977. South Korean investments in Sri Lanka (cumulative total at the end of June 2014) total $731 million. The Republic of Korea has an embassy in Colombo. Sri Lanka has an embassy in Seoul.September 1958See Sri Lanka–Turkey relations
Sri Lanka has an embassy in Ankara. Turkey has an embassy in Colombo.
Europe Country Formal Relations BeganNotes14 February 1997Foreign relations of Croatia
Sri Lanka recognised Croatia on 27 May 1992. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 14 February 1997. Both countries have agreed on bilateral treaties in various fields.March 1981 Cyprus is accredited to Sri Lanka by its High Commission in New Delhi, India and an honorary consulate in Colombo. Sri Lanka is accredited to Cyprus from its embassy in Rome, Italy and an honorary consulate in Larnaca. Both countries have agreed on bilateral treaties in various fields. Both countries are full members of Commonwealth of Nations.28 December 1957 and 15 February 1993 Historically, relations between the Czech Republic and Sri Lanka have been good, with foundations to build upon in strengthening bilateral cooperation. There have been state visits by both sides. The Czech Republic has a consulate in Colombo. In 2000 Czech Republic provided RM-70 multiple rocket launchers for Sri Lanka Army.Sri Lanka Army Equipment. globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 9 June 2013.5 January 1953See Denmark–Sri Lanka relations31 January 1996See Estonia–Sri Lanka relations 9 December 1953See Germany–Sri Lanka relations Germany has an embassy in Colombo. Sri Lanka has an embassy in Berlin.1957Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1957. Greece is accredited to Sri Lanka from its embassy in New Delhi, India.