US Strategic Interests in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The term Geopolitics oriented as a subject in middle twentieth centuries. Indian Ocean Region (IOR) became more significant in geopolitics and the region becoming a ground for a power play among major powers based on their interests. Sri Lanka is one of the strategically important country, which is situated in the South Asian continent. After the independence in 1948 from the British colonial rule Sri Lanka became a sovereign country with a rule of democratic political traditions. The geographical diversity increases the considerations of the international community. Sri Lanka located in the centre of the Indian Ocean and middle of the Silk route. Bothe Western and Eastern countries became closed to Sri Lanka and conducting bilateral, multilateral diplomatic relations. Their large trading programmes and development projects are still in operation. The United States of America, as the super power of the international system became very close friend of Sri Lanka since its independence. The relationships between both two countries were highly sharped with the democratic traditions, trade, military assistance and economic development projects. As a small country, Sri Lanka enjoying many advantages behalf of with US but there is a hidden and covert interests under these US involvements. The research takes up a qualitative approach and describes the real interests of US in Sri Lanka using secondary data collection methods. In the terms of methodology using in this research, this research is significant as it is a descriptive research and some kind of exploratory related research based on case study. The research findings may base on to discuss the strategic significances that affect to the shape of US foreign policy and find the positive or negative effects of such US involvements. And also, it concludes the real situation in third world countries with the pressure of neo liberal political and economic policies in the modern era