Colombo, Jan 11 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday underlined the need to pursue a peaceful resolution to the Gaza-Israel conflict, emphasizing his country's unwavering commitment to a two-state solution.
“President Wickremesinghe expressed his consistent public support for Palestine and Gaza and acknowledged Sri Lanka’s unwavering support and steadfast stance for UN resolution calling for a cessation of hostilities in Gaza,” a statement from his office said after he met Colombo-based ambassadors of 10 West Asian countries.
Ambassadors of Palestine, Egypt, Qatar, the UAE, Libya, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iraq attended the meeting. The President was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ali Sabry among others, local media reports said.
“Wickremesinghe advocated for the establishment of a permanent Palestinian government and emphasised that a two-state solution couldn’t be realised with a single state. Terrorist attacks by Hamas shouldn’t justify the ongoing bombardment of Gaza,” it said.
The development comes days after the Sri Lankan Navy, on the directions of the President, announced that it was preparing to join a US-led coalition to protect merchant vessels sailing in the Red Sea against attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels.
Responding to the criticism by the opposition, the government in parliament defended the decision saying safeguarding shipping lines was important as it would adversely impact shipping costs hurting Sri Lanka’s already battered economy.
Since November 2023, the Iranian-backed Houthis have been attacking merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea impeding global commerce and undermining navigational rights. They have said they launched the attacks with the aim of ending Israel's devastating air-and-ground offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 23,000 people. Israel launched the offensive after Hamas militants carried out a large-scale attack on Israel on October 7.