India, Sri Lanka, and Israel’s overlooked Indian Ocean opportunity - opinion
Sri Lanka may not top Israel’s Asia agenda but its location, its ties with India, and its emerging role in the Indian Ocean make it a strategic opportunity hiding in plain sight.
India, Sri Lanka, and Israel presented an opportunity in the Indian Ocean region, despite India's significant focus on India, Japan, and Singapore. Sri Lanka's strategic importance is underscored by its location and the significance of its ports and maritime infrastructure not just for bilateral relations but also for India's broader concerns about Chinese military presence.
India's growing interest in Sri Lanka's economic and strategic needs is evident in the $4 billion in assistance provided during the 2022 crisis and the subsequent expansion of cooperation in energy, infrastructure, digital connectivity, trade, and security. The April 2025 visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked a significant step, with agreements on electricity interconnection, digital transformation, and defense cooperation, including an MoU on defense.
This relationship is progressing beyond emergency support to a more formal framework with joint exercises, maritime surveillance, hydrography, capacity-building, and the provision of defense platforms and assets. Israel could play a role by providing specialized expertise in maritime surveillance, cyber defense, AI, and critical-infrastructure protection, contributing to Sri Lanka's development without establishing a military presence.
This approach, encapsulated in the concept of functional trilateralism, aligns with Sri Lanka's political sensitivities and supports broader regional cooperation, beyond just defense.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
