A widely circulated social media post compares two contrasting images: one depicting Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath engaging with the Sri Lankan diaspora in Rome during his attendance at the Pope’s funeral, and the other showing former President Ranil Wickremesinghe meeting foreign dignitaries while attending Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
This comparison is being used to critique the NPP government’s perceived shortcomings in foreign diplomacy.
Supporters of the NPP, however, counter this narrative by asserting that while Ranil’s engagements with world leaders did little to secure electoral success, the NPP’s outreach to the Sri Lankan diaspora has resonated more effectively with voters.
Regardless of this social media battle, major weaknesses exist in the NPP government’s foreign relations management. President Anura Kumara is set to visit Vietnam in the first week of May to appeal to the Sinhala Buddhist community of Sri Lanka ahead of the upcoming local government elections. He is scheduled to hold an exposition of the sacred Tooth Relic and participate in the Vesak celebrations in Vietnam to present himself as a Sinhala Buddhist leader, similar to Mahinda Rajapaksa.
As soon as Anura became president, Russia extended a special invitation to him to attend the BRICS summit being held in Russia. However, Anura did not attend, nor did his foreign minister. Anura also did not attend the subsequent UN General Assembly session, and his foreign minister did not attend either. The reason given was the general election. Although Prime Minister Harini participated in the recent BIMSTEC summit held in Thailand, there were no reports of her meeting with foreign heads of state who attended the summit.
President Anura does not meet with foreign ambassadors in Sri Lanka or with Sri Lankan ambassadors stationed abroad. According to the Presidential Secretariat, this is a matter of policy.
Following independence, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry operated under the Prime Minister, who also served as the head of state. The Prime Minister did not take the Finance Ministry under himself. The Foreign Ministry remained under the Prime Minister’s direct control. This arrangement was altered by J.R. Jayewardene. However, while J.R. and each of his successors appointed a separate foreign minister, they retained overall authority over the ministry themselves.
Like Anura, Mahinda did not pay much attention to the Foreign Ministry during his early years as president. He handed it over to Foreign Minister Mangala. Mangala did not consult Mahinda when making foreign policy decisions, thinking that Mahinda had no understanding or interest in it. Sri Lanka had voted against Palestine in a resolution submitted to the United Nations regarding the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Mahinda learned of this only when the Arab countries protested. He immediately removed Mangala from the post of foreign minister, as he understood how crucial the post was. It is too early to say how long it will take Anura to understand this.
