Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism on Tuesday issued a fresh statement expressing “grave concern” over recent hostilities in the West Asian region, including attacks on critical energy infrastructure that affect regional stability and peace efforts.
The Ministry said the region hosts a substantial international expatriate community including Sri Lankan nationals, whose safety and wellbeing remain “a matter of paramount concern” for Colombo.
Sri Lanka strongly advocates for the protection of civilians, critical civilian infrastructure, and the security of vital global supply chains, the statement said. The Ministry called upon all parties to exercise maximum restraint and engage in constructive dialogue to de-escalate tensions.
“Sri Lanka remains committed to supporting all efforts aimed at restoring peace and security in the region and ensuring a conducive environment for international trade,” the statement added.
The new MFA position reflects Colombo’s stance amid a renewed cycle of hostilities in the Hormuz/Red Sea theatre following the breakdown of an earlier de-escalation framework. Sri Lanka previously welcomed an April ceasefire brokered between Washington and Tehran.
The conflict has had cascading economic consequences for Sri Lanka, including disruptions to fuel imports, surging shipping insurance costs, and the redeployment of European naval assets to keep maritime corridors open. The expatriate worker dimension is significant: Sri Lanka has a sizeable workforce in the Gulf states whose remittances are a key pillar of foreign earnings.
