President’s diplomacy in landmark visits

Kalakeerthi Edwin ARIYADASA

The contemporary political discourse in Sri Lanka, seems, for the most part, to be overwhelmed by a depressing sense of gloom. The bitter bickerings that, usually pass for an enlightened dialogue on current issues, tend to exude an unwholesome pessimism.

A major segment of the media landscape in this country and much of the spirited debates in public forums, are all, continually obfuscated by predominantly irrational attacks and counter attacks.

A disturbing outcome stems from this wide-spread confusion and befuddlement. The masses are grievously deprived of the opportunity to appreciate realistically what is objectively good and beneficial for them.

This observations is pre-eminently apt, in relation to the recent official foreign visits of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The unprecedented benefits that accrued to the nation, in the wake of the visits of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The visits of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, did not receive adequate public attention, partly due to the clouding of public opinion, brought on by evil machinations, interested elements.

The recent series of official visits, took President Rajapaksa, to the far East, Middle East and to the West. In an exemplary demonstration of conservation of national resources, the President converted his visit to Iran, into an extension of his participation in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, in Kampala, Uganda.

The very act of visiting Iran, at this particularly crucial point in time, constituted an exceptionally impressive displaying of diplomatic finesse.

In the prevailing atmosphere of delicate global power plays, the visit of a Head of State to Iran, would certainly have occasioned whole host of questions and hesitations.

But, a strange and surprising international development transformed President Rajapaksa’s visit to Iran, into a stirring stroke of diplomatic serendipity. Over the years, ominous allegations against Iran had been piling up menacingly, characterising that country as the evil, intimidating the world with its unabating nuclear defiance.

Just days before President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit to Iran, this scenario changed drastically.

New National Intelligence Estimate issued in the US, a few days ago, stated that Iran halted its nuclear weapons programme in 2003. In the light of the startling findings of the New National Intelligence Estimate, Iran appeared to the global community in a starkly fresh guise. Given this background, President Rajapaksa’s visit to Iran, could not have been better timed.

Even if the National Intelligence Estimate, did not add a special global poignance to his visit, the President was pursuing the best interests of his country, when he went to Iran.

In the field of Sri Lanka’s International Trade, Iran was the best market for Sri Lankan teas, at one time. With unerring clarity President Rajapaksa decided, that , renewal of ties with Iran was a move whose time had dramatically come.

The long history of Iran, known as Persia in the far past, spans nearly 4,000 years. Racially the Iranians are Ariyans. Culturally rich and chequered, Iran was the site of a flourishing Pahlavi (Persian) literature.

Omar Khayyam’s Rubbayyat (four lined stanzas) and Jal-al-ud-din Rumi’s “Mathnawi’ (couplets) are among globally reputed works in traditional pahlavi literature.

President Rajapaksa visited this Kingdom, replete with ancient memories of high glory at a time when the hard-line adopted towards Iran by several world powers, was beginning to thaw-at least vestigially. Iran received the prestigious visitor from Sri Lanka, in an atmosphere of utmost cordiality.

President Rajapaksa at his initial meeting with President Mahmoud Ahamadinejad of Iran, briefed his Iranian counterpart about developments in Sri Lanka.

At these discussions, President Rajapaksa recalled with a sense of marked gratitude that Iran was among the foremost countries to extend assistance to Sri Lanka, when the tsunami hit Sri Lanka, in an unprecedentedly tragic natural disaster, on December 26, 2004.

President Rajapaksa, back grounded President Ahamadinejad, on the man-made disaster of terrorism, that continues to mar the peace and harmony of Sri Lanka, forcing the state to resort to defensive strategies to contain the violence.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was received by Ayatollah Ali Hoseini Khamenei, the spiritual leader of Iran. The Ayatollah offered his blessings to Sri Lanka, wishing earnestly that peace, harmony and prosperity should dawn on Sri Lanka soon.

These high level discussions, while strengthening the cordial ties between Iran and Sri Lanka, ushered in, a new chapter of warm and cordial relations between the two countries. The President’s three day official visit to Iran, paved the way for a whole series of practical and pragmatic benefits to Sri Lanka.

Had not the praiseworthy Presidential wisdom, directed the inclusion of relevant experts and decision-makers in his entourage, several separate delegations would have had to travel to negotiate all these agreements and MoUs and the cost of such visits would invariably have been exorbitant.

The financial and economic package Sri Lanka receives from these agreements is cumulatively in the region of $ 1.5 billion. Most of these transactions are either interest-free or are negotiated at extremely low interest rates.

Some of the areas that come within these negotiations could be itemised. * MOU on cargo vessels. * Bilateral agreements to regularise customs activities. * MOU for the Uma Oya multipurpose project.

* MoU to increase the capacity of the Oil Refinery. The proposed improvements envisage the increasing of the refinery-capacity from the present level of 50,000 barrels of crude oil a day to 150,000 barrels a day.

* MoU for the close co-operation between Sri Lanka’s media and Information Ministry and the Radio/TV Corporation of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

* An agreement was concluded to provide a loan of $ 150 million, at a very low interest rate, for a housing project in Sri Lanka. A main thrust in all these negotiations is a concrete move to bring under control, the troubling oil crisis, that keeps on recurring, with harsh social impacts at a multiplicity of levels.

* To my mind, this must be the first instance of such a variegated cornucopia of benefits accruing to Sri Lanka, from a single foreign visit by any President, so far.

President Mahmoud Ahamadinejad, cordially accepted President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s invitation to visit Sri Lanka in March/April, 2008. It could very well be that the Iranian President will be the chief guest at the inauguration of the oil refinery with the improved capacity, ensured by Iranian assistance.

The need for bilaterality in the field of tourism-promotion and increased trade and commence, was underscored by the discussions and negotiations. The two leaders were emphatic in decrying terrorism and suggested that greater international co-operation was essential to rid the world of this scourge.

To my mind, the populist attitude that the two leaders share with equal enthusiasm, was a crucial factor in the mutual cordiality, that characterised their relations and negotiations.

A keynote that stood out in the joint communique that was signed at the end of the three day Iranian visit of the President was the stress placed upon closer regional co-operation.

This seemed very much an echo of President Rajapaksa’s spiritual advocacy of regional co-operation, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala, Uganda.

And, then to Tokyo

The dramatic presence of serendipity, at significant turns in President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s activities, was, once again, evident, when he was in the process of planning his official visit to Japan.

But, first a word about ‘serendipity’. The word serendipity found a place in the English language through Horace Walpole who coined it after the fairy tale ‘Three Princes of Serendip’.

Here ‘Serendip’ is one of the many names for Sri Lanka (Sinhala Dvipa). Incidentally the fairy tale is Persian (Iranian) in origin. The three princes in the Fairy Tale, possessed the happy faculty of discovery valuable and agreeable things, even when they were not looking for them.

President Mahinda Rajapksa, amply provided with serendipity. When he visited Iran, the global attitude to that country was just beginning to take a sunnier turn.

When President Rajapaksa was getting ready for the visit to Japan, he heard a strange story, that surprised him.

According to this real life fairy tale, a Sri Lankan girl was named Sepalika Michiko, way back in 1981. She was named Michiko after the Empress of Japan. In 1981, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, while visiting Sri Lanka were taken to the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital, that had been built with Japanese funding.

President J.R. Jayewardene who took along the Emperor and the Empress to visit the Hospital spoke to an expectant mother. President J.R. Jayewardene told her, that she should name her child after the Japanese Emperor or the Empress. If it was a boy he would be called Akihito, and if it was a girl, she would be called Michiko.

The mother gave birth to a girl and was eventually named Sepalika Michiko. President Mahinda Rajapaksa invited the Sepalika Michiko family and heard the girl’s story.

When President Mahinda Rajapaksa called on the Imperial family in Tokyo, he narrated the story of Sepalika Michiko to Emperor Akihoto and Empress Michiko, eliciting high imperial pleasure.

This way the President’s official tour of Japan, began with an impressively serendipitous note. President Rajapaksa, visited Japan on the invitation extended to him by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda of Japan.

The highlight of President Rajapaksa’s visit to Japan, was the warm audience granted to the President, and party, by the Emperor and the Empress at their palace.

The Emperor and the Empress, recalled their cherished memories of Sri Lanka. The cordiality displayed by the Imperial family was an exalted projection of the affection that the people of Japan have towards Sri Lanka.

A banquet was held in honour of the visiting Sri Lanka President symbolising the warmth they entertain towards Sri Lanka, the Emperor and Empress spent more than two-hours with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his entourage.

Sri Lanka already enjoys the status of a special friend of Japan, Evidence of lavish Japanese assistance is present everywhere in the land. It is to the decided credit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, that in spite of all the previous forms of assistance Sri Lanka has received from Japan, his presence in Japan, this time around, ensured an impressive plethora of further assistance and aid.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, held a series of discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and of Land, Infrastructure facilities, Tourism and Transport Minister Tetsuzo Fuyushiha,

The President’s official visit to Japan, once again established the inescapable validity of including experts and authorities in his entourage.

The immediate responses that Sri Lanka was able to elicit from the representatives of investing Japanese organisations, were largely the salutary outcome of the presence of a range of expert personnel from Sri Lanka, ready to provide instant elucidations to any issue that Japanese investors would raise.

President Rajapaksa was called upon to participate in a number of events at which his astute personal diplomacy had to be effectively exercised.

The President was interviewed on NHK. Yomouri Shimbun, a prestigious newspaper of Japan, paid the President a touching compliment by requesting him to give that journal an interview.

In a rare honour that only a highly distinguished visitor to Japan is usually conferred upon, President Mahinda Rajapaksa was requested to address The Japanese Diet. Here, President Mahinda Rajapaksa reiterated his earnest commitment to an honourable peace.

President Rajapaksa’s discussions with Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura yielded an instant result: The Foreign Minister pledged a package of economic assistance to Sri Lanka, amounting to Yen 1,900 million.

Over and above this offer, directed towards several specific projects (Namely-Moragahakanda Reservoir, sophisticated hospital, fully equipped with modern appointments, Nursery Training School, initiating a Gas Project) Japan expressed its willingness to provide opportunities for vocational training and employment to young men and young women of Sri Lanka.

“The Land of the Rising Sun”, radiated a special warmth towards the visiting Sri Lankan President.

President Rajapaksa, in turn, projected his personal warmth to the Sri Lankan community in Japan, when he met them at Shinagaha Prince Hotel in Tokyo. Amidst the blessings from the Sri Lankan Buddhist monks at this get-together, he requested the Sri Lankans to entertain an undiminished love of their mother country.

The President assured them, that he will continue to wage his struggle against those evil forces, arrayed against democracy and humanity-until peace and harmony are fully established in our motherland.

The Sri Lankan community gifted to the President a bus for the use of disabled persons, three duel-purpose vans, a fire fighting vehicle and an ambulance.

The glorious outcome of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s brief visit to Japan, is the elevation of the strong ties that bind our two countries together, to a heightened level of warmth, transcending even the formal diplomatic links, we always cherish.