Sri Lanka’s Maritime Affairs in the Changing Indian Ocean

Abstract

Sri Lanka has called for the ‘Hub of the Indian Ocean’ concept to be adopted as the policy platform for Sri Lanka’s maritime cooperation. Amidst the growth of maritime importance in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)—the geopolitical and economic dynamics in the Indian Ocean, this article details some of the opportunities that Sri Lanka successfully exploited in the past, the outlook at the present which can inspire the country’s future course on a strong maritime policy. This article covers some of the vital changes in the Indian Ocean that prompted Sri Lanka to drive its trade, economic, and foreign policy toward a new direction emphasizing maritime cooperation.