In the wake of wide spread opposition and criticism against two defense accords and one development related agreement between the US and Sri Lanka; US clarified the present status of the accords clearing doubts of the public.
US Ambassador in Colombo Alaina Teplitz appearing in online via the embassy’s social media site out lined current Sri Lanka –USA relations dispelling false propaganda campaign of the opposition recently.
One of the two of the agreements, the draft Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) or Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which is under negotiation, has not been concluded she said.
Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA), which was signed in 2007 and renewed in 2017, aims to facilitate military cooperation, particularly US-Lanka joint exercises and disaster relief.
The third, unrelated agreement is the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact, a US$480 million development assistance gift designed to promote economic growth in Sri Lanka, she disclosed.
Ambassador Alaina Teplitz noted that misinformation and disinformation, particularly on social media, can undermine confidence in the integrity of tow democracies
The United States has no intent to build a military base or establish a permanent military presence in Sri Lanka. Similarly, it gains no land ownership or control through MCC, she claimed.
The ACSA agreement is designed to provide a legal framework for logistical support between the US and Sri Lankan militaries and to exchange supplies and services, as well as payment for those supplies and services.
The VFA addresses the status of U.S. military and civilian employees of the U.S. Department of Defense who may be temporarily present in Sri Lanka for exercises or o0fficial duty at the invitation of the Government of Sri Lanka.
The MCC is not contingent on the VFA and ACSA, and is not a military agreement. The MCC “Compact” is a development assistance agreement to support economic development. It is a gift from the people of the United States, not a loan, she pointed out.
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