Updated By: LatestGKGS Desk
US issued $39 million military finance to Sri Lanka to uplift maritime security
United States issued $39 million military finance to Sri Lanka to uplift maritime security: Details, Highlights
The United States has announced to grant $39 million as part it's foreign military financing to Sri Lanka to uplift maritime security.
The US funding for Sri Lanka is part of its $300 million set aside for South and Southeast Asia to ensure free, open, and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.
The foreign military financing to Sri Lanka will be subject to approval by the US Congress. It is viewed latest move by the US to counter China’s increasing strategic influence on Indian Ocean island. This contribution will also support Bay of Bengal initiative and Sri Lanka’s humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) priorities.
This will be first US grant to Sri Lanka since 2009 after the US had stopped arms sales to Sri Lanka during the height of its Tamil separatist war that ended in 2009. During this time, US was highly critical of human-rights record of Sri Lankan Government led by then President Mahinda Rajapakse. This had led Sri Lanka to seek China as its alternative partner.
China recently has raised its investments in major ports in Sri Lanka, which are key to its ambitious ‘Belt and Road’ infrastructure initiative. Under it, China has vowed to keep providing financial help, including loans to Sri Lanka despite warnings about its mounting debt
