Opposition MP Mujibur Rahman warns that Sri Lanka’s decision to skip the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China risks damaging the nation’s non-aligned foreign policy image and losing valuable economic opportunities.
Sri Lanka’s non-participation in the recently concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition. Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Mujibur Rahman told journalists that skipping the high-level gathering could be a costly mistake for the country’s global standing and its economic prospects.
The MP highlighted that key topics such as connectivity, trade facilitation, and technology transfer were central to this year’s discussions, suggesting that Sri Lanka may have missed significant benefits. “Sri Lanka might have gained opportunities from such cooperation. Instead, by staying away, we have weakened our international image,” he said.
Rahman stressed that Sri Lanka has historically maintained a non-aligned foreign policy. However, by failing to attend, the current administration risks being viewed as leaning toward the West. “The international community may begin to question the present government’s direction. Sri Lanka could even be labelled a pro-Western nation,” he warned.
He also raised concerns over whether Colombo had come under pressure from the United States to avoid participation. “Past governments balanced relationships carefully. Pakistan, despite its own challenges and lower export tariff rates from the U.S., still chose to attend. Sri Lanka should have done the same,” Rahman explained.
In addition to foreign policy concerns, the MP criticized President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s sudden response to Indian actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s remarks on Katchatheevu Island. “The President rushed to Katchatheevu declaring it permanently Sri Lankan because of Vijay’s comments. But Vijay is only new to politics, still contesting for Chief Minister in Tamil Nadu. There was no reason for the President to take his demand so seriously,” Rahman said.
He further pointed out that the Indian government itself has not acted on calls from Tamil Nadu leaders over Katchatheevu in the past, reinforcing that Colombo should not overreact to a domestic political issue in India.
With Sri Lanka’s economy already facing significant challenges, Rahman emphasized that opportunities to enhance trade and strengthen multilateral ties should not be ignored. The absence from the SCO summit, he concluded, raises questions about the government’s judgment and its ability to safeguard Sri Lanka’s global interests.
