BASL President calls for better briefing of Lankan delegates at global forums

President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka Rajeev Amarasuriya has called for better preparation and support for Sri Lanka’s representatives participating in international forums, following remarks made by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi.

In a Facebook post, Amarasuriya, who was present at the venue during the panel discussion, said he hoped lessons would be drawn from the incident and that Sri Lankan representatives would be better briefed and supported when appearing on major global platforms.

The following is the full text of BASL President’s facebook post:

“I sincerely hope that lessons are drawn from this moment, and that in the future our representatives are better prepared and supported, particularly when speaking on global platforms of such significance.

“I was present in the hall at the Raisina Dialogue when Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath made his remarks during the panel discussion on The Future of the Indian Ocean.

“Very often, Ministers are not necessarily experts in foreign relations or foreign policy. One cannot fault them for that. However, it is the responsibility of the Foreign Ministry and our diplomatic missions to properly brief and prepare the country’s representatives for all possible questions and scenarios.

“In this instance, I believe it was entirely foreseeable that the question regarding the two Iranian vessels would be raised — particularly with Palki Sharma moderating the discussion.

“A carefully calibrated response could easily have been given. For example, the Minister could simply have said that Sri Lanka maintains friendly relations with all these nations, and that our decisions will always be guided by law, principle, and what is in the best interests of the country.

“Such a response would have resonated well with the audience — a hall of over 600 influential leaders, policymakers, diplomats, and analysts from across the world.

“I sincerely hope that lessons are drawn from this moment, and that in the future our representatives are better prepared and supported, particularly when speaking on global platforms of such significance.”

source: The Island