Is Sri Lanka navigating in an emerging multipolar world? By Arundathie Abeysinghe
Sri Lanka can position itself in an emerging multipolar world by adopting a strategy that leverages its strategic maritime location in the Indian Ocean maritime corridor as Sri Lanka is a significant partner for major powers, playing the role as a connector between the East and the West a bridge between competing powers primarily India, China and the West, while upgrading its traditional non-aligned foreign policy.
Located in the critical Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the island nation faces increased geopolitical pressure, yet, seeks to leverage its geostrategic location in the center of the Indian Ocean’s East-West maritime corridor that handles approximately two-thirds of global oil shipments with the objective of becoming a premier global logistics, trade, and transshipment hub.
The busy East-West shipping route passes approximately six to ten nautical miles south of the island and annually, over 60,000 ships utilize this route, carrying two-thirds of the world’s oil and fifty per cent of container shipments. Hence, by transforming Colombo and Hambantota ports, the island nation aims to connect South Asia with Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
As the Indo-Pacific serves as a major arena for US-China competition, Sri Lanka is a vital intersection in trade and maritime security, remarkably in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well as in India’s maritime neighborhood security. By renewing its traditional non-aligned perspective, avoiding absolute dependence on one superpower and engaging in a neutral stance to attract diversified investment, predominantly from Western powers and regional neighbors.
Despite being a country in the Global South, Sri Lanka has the ability to move from the role of a spectator to a significant player by leveraging its diplomatic position to influence a multipolar global governance structure, especially through its relations with *BRICS.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is also seeking to navigate the competing interests of major powers such as India, China and the USA by fostering a neutral, yet, stable environment with the objective of enhancing its economic security.
Sri Lanka’s objective is to maintain neutrality as well as stability, transforming itself as a “purposeful small power” without aligning in geopolitical rivalry of major powers, while benefitting from diverse economic and diplomatic prospects presented by a multipolar order.
Due to the emergence of a multipolar world, the island nation has an optimistic global environment. Hence, Sri Lanka should adopt a long-term, policy-driven systematic approach to the emerging multipolar world.
BRICS – An intergovernmental organization of major emerging economies (originally Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) which has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Indonesia. BRICS functions as a geopolitical, economic, and diplomatic forum for the Global South by representing approximately 49% of global population.
