Sri Lanka, April 7 -- Most South Asian Governments tend to have Non-Aligned foreign policies, balancing their relations with the major powers. This maximises their diplomatic flexibility and ability to operate independently on the world stage, also known as strategic autonomy. India and Pakistan are two prominent examples:
They both balance their relations with the United States and at least one of its core rivals (Russia and China, respectively).
But it is important not to overlook Sri Lanka: In the past two years, Colombo has quietly and successfully navigated global conflict and Great Power rivalry. Like many other countries in the region, Sri Lanka has not condemned Russia's War in Ukraine, even though the resulting price shocks exace...