00:00U.S. is losing allies amid the West Asia war and the latest we are learning of how Sri Lanka
00:05denied permission for two U.S. jets to land.
00:08According to the Sri Lankan media, two U.S. jets were denied Nod to land.
00:13Sri Lanka, that refused U.S. and their request to land warplanes, they refused permission for the U.S. to
00:22land two of its warplanes in the island's southeast, Matala International Airport.
00:26This, as President Anura Kumara Desanayake told Parliament in Colombo on Friday, he said that the two U.S. warplanes
00:37from Djibouti asked for permission to come to Sri Lanka on the 4th of March and then the 8th of
00:44March.
00:44Both requests were rejected, he said.
00:46We wanted to maintain our neutrality despite many pressures. We will not give in the Middle East war poses challenges,
00:53but we will do everything possible to remain neutral, unquote, is what he said.
00:59He further added that they wanted to bring in two warplanes armed with eight anti-ship missiles from a base
01:06in Djibouti to the Matala International Airport.
01:10And we said no. This, as the Sri Lankan president raised this in their parliament.
01:16The statement that comes a day after his meeting with U.S. special envoy for South and Central Asia, Sergio
01:22Gaur,
01:22the two leaders discuss U.S. efforts to safeguard vital seaplanes and secure ports, reinforce mutually beneficial trade and commercial
01:30ties,
01:31and advance a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific, according to the statement.
01:37Nagarjan Dwarkanathan joining us on the phone line with further details.
01:41Nagarjan, important to the position that Sri Lanka has taken, given the fact that there has been a lot of
01:47mess,
01:48especially with the Gulf states and how they have been on the receiving end because of the decisions taken by
01:54the U.S.
01:55What really for Sri Lanka in this?
02:10All right, not too sure if Nagarjan is still connected with us.
02:12We'll try and reconnect that line with him.
02:14But one thing is very clear with the sort of details that are coming in.
02:17U.S. is certainly losing its allies amid the West Asia war because those who've stood by him, by them,
02:24I beg your pardon, have also been at the receiving end.
02:28Sri Lanka denied permission for two U.S. jets to land is what their president has said.
02:32According to the Sri Lankan media, two U.S. jets were denied the permission to land two of their warplanes
02:39that were not given permission to land in Sri Lanka.
02:42Sri Lanka refused permission for the U.S. to land two of its warplanes in the island's southeast Matala International
02:48Airport.
02:49President Anura Kumara, who said this in Parliament in Colombo on Friday, also adding that two U.S. warplanes from
02:57Djibouti asked for permission to come to Sri Lanka on the 4th and 8th of March, but both requests were
03:02rejected.
03:03I want to go back to my colleague Nagarjan Varkanaat with us on the broadcast.
03:07Nagarjan, take us through the details of what he said and what this means for the U.S.
03:13Well, in fact, the President of Sri Lanka himself has made a statement in the Parliament of Sri Lanka right
03:19now,
03:19saying that the Sri Lanka country has refused permission for two U.S. planes wanted to land in Sri Lankan
03:29territory.
03:29And this was on the March 4th and March 8th through requests, which were denied by Sri Lanka so that
03:35they wanted to maintain neutrality.
03:36And this was aircrafts coming in from Djibouti in Africa.
03:41And they wanted to land at the Matala International Airport in early March.
03:46And the President of Sri Lanka, President Anura Kumara Dutunayake, told the Parliament, saying that this request from the U
03:54.S.
03:55was in fact declined, saying that Sri Lanka wants to maintain neutrality.
03:59And their territory cannot be used for war purpose.
04:04And once again, Sri Lanka has put out its foot, saying that they would not let the territory be used
04:09during the time of the West Asia war.
04:12All right, Nagarjan, thanks for getting us those details.
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