President Rajapakse’s Iran visit a huge success

"While the US demonises Iran and calls her a “rogue-state” and clams that Iran is isolated, a stream of world leaders like Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, President Putin of Russia, the Head of state of China, Rober Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Bashar Azad of Syria and our president Rajapakse among many others have by their visits proved the US claim “isolated” as false. "

by Saybhan Samat in Colombo to Sri Lanka Guardian

(December, 19, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The visit of President Mahinda Rajapakse to Iran from November 26-29, was summed up by President Rajapakse himself when he stated “I got all that I wanted from Iran, I don’t need HSBC bonds” As far as the Islamic Republic of Iran was concerned a vital statement from our President in a meeting with Iranian Foreign minister Manoucherhr Mottaki in Tehran on Monday 26 said that Sri Lanka supported Iran’s inalienable right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purpose. This was reported by the Islamic Republic News Agency. This statement was indeed what Iran wanted to hear in the context of the US and her European allies now attempting to pressurize the UN Security Council to slap a third round of sanctions on Iran for not halting nuclear enrichment.

While the US demonises Iran and calls her a “rogue-state” and clams that Iran is isolated, a stream of world leaders like Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, President Putin of Russia, the Head of state of China, Rober Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Bashar Azad of Syria and our president Rajapakse among many others have by their visits proved the US claim “isolated” as false. What is really factual is that Iran has emerged as a regional power and an important world player much to the chagrin of the US and her European allies.

It is also noted, that for sometime when the foreign ministry was under Mangala Samaraweera there was a pro US shift in the Sri Lankan foreign policy. After president Rajapakse appointed Rohitha Bogollagama to the foreign ministry there is now a shift towards a more non-aligned position like in the days of the old S.L.F.P governments of Mr. and Mrs. Bandaranayake.

It might be of interest to recall a pro US anti Iran vote by Sri Lanka on February 4, 2006 when Aruni Wijeywerdene Sri Lanka’s representative to Vienna voted for a resolution to refer Iran’s nuclear programme to the United Nations Security Council. Venezuela, Cuba and Syria voted against the resolution while five African states including South Africa abstained, Iran expected Sri Lanka to at least abstain and expressed it’s “displeasure” on the Sri Lanka vote was despite Iran supplying 70% of our oil requirements, buying the major part of our tea and in 2005 offering a US dollar 150 million credit line. Apart from all this there is joint economic trade commission between Sri Lanka and Iran that has burgeoned bi-lateral trade between the two countries. President Rajapakse himself apologized to the Iranian ambassador over this incident.

What happened in 2006 is all history, presently president Rajapakse has been warmly treated in Iran. In fact the supreme leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khameini referred to him as one of the strongest leaders in Asia. He also praised president Rajapakse for his undivided support for Palestine.

It is to the advantage of Sri Lanka to expand relations with a prosperous and religious country like Iran; especially cultural relations. The affinity for Iran has historically always been there when in the early days the Persian presence in Sri Lanka was most pronounced. Besides, the Sinhalease and the Persians are bothe of Aryan descent. All these factor facilitates close fraternal relations between the two countries.

It is however regrettable that a couple of news paper columnists have down played the very successful visit of President Rajapakse claiming that the international community at this juncture will cause damage to Sri Lanka. The international communities these columnists speak of are the US and a few of its European allies. The whole of the Non-Aligned Movement which consists of over 100 countries and the Islamic Conference Organization which consists of over 50 countries have unanimously voted that Iran has the inalienable right to nuclear power for civilian purpose under the terms and conditions of the NPT.

These negative ideas of pro – US elements in some media circles cannot halt the close relations between Sri Lanka and Iran which is bound to burgeon in the near future. It is the so called international community that for long years have time and again accused Sri Lanka of human rights violations while turning a blind, eye to the atrocities of the LTTE.

President Ahmadinajad’s proposed visit to Sri Lanka early next year at the invitation of President Rajapakse will inevitably cement lasting cordial relationships between Sri Lanka and the Islamic Republic of Iran.