Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has warned that any establishment of a base by the United States in the Maldives could change the complexion of the sub-continent region by aligning it more with India, reports the Daily Mirror.
The Defence Secretary pointed out that it was essential to further strengthen the existing cordial relationships with powerful nations such as China and Russia, which have permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council and could influence any international action on Sri Lanka more significantly than other nations.
“Issues between India and Pakistan, and the issues between India and China are particularly sensitive in this regard. With the rise of China as a world economic leader, there is a widespread belief that India feels insecure and is seeking to align itself with the other powers that seem similarly threatened by China’s ascendancy,” he added.
Mr Rajapaksa said although the likelihood of events such as the Arab Spring transpiring in Sri Lanka is minimal as a result of it being a democratic nation with an extremely popular political leadership that enjoys a very large electoral majority, the possible trend needs to be monitored.
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US interest in Maldives affects Maldives too badly. Let's learn lessons from countries US have their bases.