The United States ambassador said there was no plan to establish a permanent US military base in Sri Lanka.
Speaking at a press conference after a meeting with senior Buddhist clergy, Alaina Teplitz said, "We have an agreement with Sri Lanka to conduct combined security operations. We have entered into such agreements with the past government also. However, we have not decided to establish a permanent American base in Sri Lanka."
"There is no agreement. We have only reached an agreement to allow the U.S. forces to tour the country so we can work together. This assistance is very important to strengthen the security of the country as well as to strengthen other sectors," Teplitz said.
"Our bilateral relations will allow further strengthening of the security of the two countries as well as regional security," she added.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
