In a statement explaining its vote in favour of the UN resolution on the status of Jerusalem, the Sri Lankan government said it had voted based on its "traditional and principled position".
It was not a vote against any member state of the UN, Sri Lanka stressed, adding that it believed in the "vision of two states living side by side in peace, security and mutual recognition".
"This vote in favor of the resolution was on the basis of Sri Lanka's long held traditional and principled position, which is in keeping with the international understanding that Jerusalem is a final-status issue that must be resolved through negotiations between the two parties on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions, taking into account the legitimate concerns of both parties - Palestinians and Israelis, and that Jerusalem should be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian States," Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said in a statement.
"Sri Lanka stands by its position that it is only by realizing the vision of two States living side-by-side in peace, security and mutual recognition, with Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and Palestine, with all matters resolved permanently through negotiations, that the legitimate aspirations of both parties and sustainable peace can be achieved."