Sri Lanka Government is compelled to sign with the US to abide the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) allegedly grants US military personnel, US military contractors and US military suppliers the same perks and privileges granted to technical and administrative officers of the US Embassy.
The agreement also allows the US Military personnel to enter the country with only a US Government Issued ID card (without a passport) , informed diplomatic sources said.
This agreement will be definitely signed between the two countries after Sri Lanka’s general election enabling the US Presidential candidate Donald Trump to use it as a trump card in up coming US Presidential election, a diplomatic source said.
Status of Forces Agreement (SoFA) by the two countries was heavily criticized by present government stalwarts , local media and some political analysts who see it as a threat to Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.
But President Gotabaya Rajapksa has no alternative other than the signing of the agreement to satisfy the US.
US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells said the United State and Sri Lanka have compelling shared interests that include countering violent extremism, strengthening maritime security, preventing narcotics smuggling, promoting investment and economic growth as part of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
During a briefing at the US Department of State on her recent trip to Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries, Ambassador Wells said ultimately, the quality of the partnership between the two countries will reflect the success in strengthening shared values, including on the critical issue of healing the wounds of Sri Lanka’s civil war.
During the meeting with the president Rajapaksa recently , Wells had conveyed a letter from President Trump emphasizing the value that the U.S. place on continued engagement with Sri Lanka that’s pursuing the path of reform and reconciliation
(LI)