US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke with Sagala Ratnayake, Sri Lanka’s national security advisor, on US “support to Sri Lanka’s security and sovereignty” earlier this month, as ties between the two governments continue to grow.
The White House in its readout of the telephone conversation said the discussion “covered areas of bilateral engagement including U.S. support to Sri Lanka’s security and sovereignty, Sri Lanka’s ongoing efforts to complete the fiscal, monetary, and governance elements of its IMF program, and future opportunities for cooperation”.
“National Security Advisor Sullivan expressed his interest in maintaining an ongoing engagement with Sri Lanka in order to collaboratively pursue peace and security in the region,” it added.
In its version, Sri Lanka’s President’s Media Division claimed that “central to their discussion was the unwavering U.S. commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s security and sovereignty”.
“The conversation also delved into prospects for collaboration between the two countries, exploring avenues for enhanced cooperation in various spheres,” the PMD added, but failed to detail the specifics of such cooperation.
“Sullivan conveyed his keen interest in fostering continued engagement with Sri Lanka, underscoring the mutual objective of advancing peace and security in the region,” it concluded.
The latest call with the senior US official comes amidst closer relations between the two. Last month, the United States completed a three-day training of Sri Lankan troops, teaching the air force how to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) flights. The month before that, the US government announced it was looking to gift Colombo a cutter, with US$9 million allocated to support the effort.
