Another jolt to Pakistan as Sri Lanka pulls out of SAARC Summit

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena addresses the United Nations General Assembly in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S. in this September 21, 2016 photo. Sri Lanka on Friday became the fifth country to pull out of the SAARC Summit proposed to be held at Islamabad, saying the situation was not conducive for holding the Summit there.

Island nation’s Foreign Ministry regrets environment in the region not conducive for holding summit, wants even deferred.

• MEERA SRINIVASAN-September 30, 2016
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Backing a call for postponing the 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit in Pakistan, Sri Lanka on Friday said the prevailing environment in the region was not conducive for holding the event.

The island nation’s comments come days after Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan expressed their decision to stay away from the November summit to be held in Islamabad.

Sri Lanka is thus the fifth country to boycott the summit proposed after India expressed its inability to participate in the event following the attack in Uri and Colombo’s decision has come as a further setback to Pakistan.

Cordial ties with both India, Pak

Sri Lanka has cordial ties with both India and Pakistan, and had refrained from comments on the two sides earlier.

However on Friday, the Foreign Ministry said: “The General Provisions of the SAARC Charter require that decisions at all levels be taken on the basis of unanimity and this applies to the convening of meetings of Heads of State or Government of SAARC Member States as well,” pointing to the lapse of consensus.

India-Sri Lanka relations saw a marked improvement after January 2015, following President Maithripala Sirisena’s victory in the presidential elections.

Emphasising the need to deal with terrorism in in a decisive manner, Sri Lanka said that peace and security were essential elements for the success of meaningful regional cooperation for the benefit of the people of South Asia. “Sri Lanka condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” the Ministry said.

‘Create conducive milieu’

PTI adds:

“As a founding member of SAARC, committed to regional cooperation, Sri Lanka hopes that the steps required to ensuring our region’s peace and security will be taken to create an environment that is conducive for the pursuit of regional cooperation,” the Ministry’s statement added.

Founded in 1985, SAARC currently has India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan as its members.