US envoy in sea lanes, ports security talks with Sri Lanka

Colombo: The US Special Representative for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor and Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Thursday discussed strengthening of bilateral relations and the island nation's position on the West Asia crisis.

The US Special envoys’ visit to Sri Lanka comes at a time when Sri Lanka came to be embroiled in the joint US-Israeli war against Iran since February 28.

Gor met with Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat as part of “US efforts to safeguard vital sea lanes and secure ports, reinforce mutually beneficial trade and commercial ties, and advance a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific for the benefit of both our peoples,” a release from the US Pacific Command said.

Gor and Dissanayake's “discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties and Sri Lanka’s position on the Middle East conflict and its challenges,” the President's Media Division (PMD) said in a post on X.

The US Special envoy will also travel to Maldives after Sri Lanka in the 5-day visit for high-level engagements focused on advancing cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

On March 4, the US torpedoed the Iranian frigate Iris Dena killing 84 sailors while 32 escaped. Two days later, a second Iranian vessel, Iris Bushehr, sought entry to Colombo port with 219 sailors.

Sri Lanka asked the vessel to be diverted to the eastern port of Trincomalee from its anchor outside the port here. A total of 204 of the sailors are now accommodated at the Naval facility near Colombo.