Abstract
In 2018, the Sri Lankan Government mentioned that Sri Lanka is looking east in its foreign policy engagement. What Sri Lanka meant by its “Look East Strategy” was not clear. Yet, it seemed like Sri Lanka was using the term to mean pursuing ties with ASEAN, not to counter Chinese influence, but to strengthen its own bilateral relationships and gain intrinsic benefits. In general, the terminology “Looking East” is associated with India in its economic relations with the South East Asian region. The Look East Policy which originated in the 1990s was upgraded to Act East in 2014 giving greater emphasis on strengthening economic, security and strategic partnership with ASEAN countries. In parallel to launching “Act East” policy in 2014, India also rejuvenated the BIMSTEC which had been relatively dormant and inactive for decades since inception. As a founding member of BIMSTEC, this has opened opportunities for Sri Lanka to engage with the South East Asian countries. This chapter explores how India’s Act East Policy and BIMSTEC rejuvenation can be a platform to realize Sri Lanka’s foreign policy objectives of engaging with South East Asia.
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