The Sri Lankan government has stressed that no diplomatic invitation was extended to the Iranian ships, stating that the only request made was for a goodwill visit between March 9 and 13.
Cabinet Media Spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa made this statement at the Cabinet media briefing held today (24), in response to remarks made by the Iranian Ambassador yesterday.
The Iranian Ambassador, speaking at a special press conference, said that two ships, including the IRIS Dena, were expecting to enter Sri Lankan waters and make a port call, based on what he described as an invitation from the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy.
This statement appeared to contradict the remarks made by the President in Parliament last Friday. At today’s Cabinet media briefing, journalists raised concerns over this discrepancy and also questioned the actions of the Iranian Ambassador.
During the briefing, the media also highlighted the Ambassador’s political engagement with the opposition and his participation in a protest movement. Questions were raised as to whether he would be summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and issued a warning.
In response, the Cabinet Spokesperson stated that he would not comment on the matter at this time.
However, he noted that Sri Lanka had recently participated in a naval exercise in Visakhapatnam, and that it is a commonly accepted practice for naval commanders to make verbal goodwill requests to their foreign counterparts during such engagements.
He emphasized that this is a standard ethical tradition observed worldwide. The Minister further stated that if such a request is to be formalized, it would be handled through proper diplomatic channels, adding that diplomats are well aware of the procedures involved in such situations.
