During the question-and-answer session, Dr. Dushni Weerakoon questioned the sustainability of Sri Lanka’s non-aligned foreign policy, as it weakened the country’s position in trade negotiations. The expert assertion was certainly not restricted to trade negotiations. Having signed ACSA (Access and Cross Servicing-Agreement) with the US, in August 2017, it would be ridiculous to still talk […...

The developing Indo-Lanka relations, particularly the process since early 2022 should be examined taking into consideration the significant role played by Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in New Delhi Milinda Moragoda, who received the Cabinet rank. At the time President Gotabaya Rajapaksa sent the former UNP Minister, one -time close associate of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, […]

Japan has sought Sri Lanka’s backing for its Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy. Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa has taken up this issue with his Sri Lankan counterpart Ali Sabry, PC, when they met on 29th July. According to a statement issued by the Japanese Embassy, in Colombo, Minister Yoshimasa has also briefed Minister Sabry regarding […]

The RBI has taken a pivotal step by permitting 20 banks operating in India to open 92 Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVAs) with partner banks from 22 countries. This allows exporters and importers from these nations to conduct trade transactions in domestic currencies, facilitating smoother and more efficient trade practices. The list of countries eligible for […]

In a veiled attack on China, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval said BRICS could work together on listing terrorists and their proxies under the UN counter-terrorism sanctions regime but emphasised that the process should be free from “politics and double standards.” Ajit Doval made the remarks during the meeting of the National Security Advisers of […]

Udeni Kaluthantri, a 54-year-old port worker, became an overnight sensation last year for reasons that had nothing to do with his job. Days after protesters stormed the presidential palace in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, a video surfaced of Mr Kaluthantri lounging on a bed draped with the presidential flag. Pictures of young men jumping […]

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar referred to China as a ‘significant neighbour’ to India and emphasized the need for mutual respect and adherence to agreements to maintain a healthy relationship. Speaking at the India International Centre, he acknowledged the challenges in the India-China relationship, stating that the abnormal state of the border remains a key […]

Crisis-hit Pakistan has reached a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over $3bn (£2.4bn) of funding. The deal, which still needs to be approved by the global lender’s board, comes after an eight-month delay. The South Asian nation is facing its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1947. To help secure […]

By DR. DAYAN JAYATILLEKA For a country with a deep crisis, galloping poverty and a very significant Left (JVP-NPP and FSP), there is a paradoxically thin contribution by the leftwing intelligentsia. This can be contrasted by a cursory glance at the volumes of back issues of the Lanka Guardian which would illustrate the far thicker […]

by Rajan Philips Last week saw a spate of summits underscoring the global economic and geopolitical headwinds that governments and countries have to cope with and navigate through. First, there was the visit to China by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. This was followed by a state visit to Washington by India’s Prime […]

CNN- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi basked in the most lavish honors that the US can bestow on a visiting leader. But for much of his state visit, the specter of an uninvited guest hovered over Washington and the future of US-India relations. China – and the growing belief that the US is on a collision course with […]

WASHINGTON, June 22 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden and Narendra Modi hailed a new era in their countries’ relationship after the White House rolled out the red carpet for the Indian prime minister on Thursday, touting deals on defense and commerce aimed at countering China’s global influence. “Two great nations, two great friends, and […]

From the viewpoint of the South, the recent visit by a delegation of African political leaders to Russia for the primary purpose of impressing on President Vladimir Putin the need to end the conflict in Ukraine is welcome news. The visit is doubly important for at least two main reasons; first, the mounting economic pressures […]

By Y P Prakash The growth of regional industries is crucial for India to realize its ambitions of becoming a global manufacturing hub, and India’s potential in this regard is undeniable. The International Monetary Fund predicts that India’s GDP will grow by 6.1% in 2023, surpassing China’s projected growth of 4.4%. Furthermore, India is expected […]

A big Polish chicken producer has been knocking on China’s door for eight years without selling a single drumstick, but hope springs eternal according to one of its representatives. Wipasz deputy sales director Rafat Koztowski attended the China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, last month on his second visit to China since […]

Two years into the military recapturing power, there does not seem to be a let-up to the torment of the people of Myanmar. The latter are putting up sustained and spirited armed opposition to the military but the ruling junta is yet to contemplate backing down from its harshly repressive treatment of the resisting public. […]