The perseverance of foreign policy is to manage relationships with the rest of the States in the world. An influential paradigm in the study of international relations is Neo-realism. The small island States in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) do not always receive much consideration in international relations. The power relations between Indian Ocean island States and great powers are altered by interdependency. In addition, a contrivance of statecraft generally connected with Indian Ocean small islands is neutrality.

These States are also likely to be able to uphold a more ‘balanced’ standpoint. The growing interdependencies between India and the US across several fronts are established on shared strategic interests. As the largest nation in South Asia and a close US(The United States of America) ally, under its “Neighbourhood First” and SAGAR( Security and Growth for All in the Region ) foreign policy doctrines, India is already pushing for firmer ties with its island neighbors; Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Réunion. A major impediment to India’s security interests has been China’s growing influence in these five Indian Ocean island nations. Due to the inconsistent and vulnerable domestic political agendas of these States, their foreign policy origination is slow in progress and accomplishment.

External Policy Orientation Of Sri Lanka

In recent years, key elements of the foreign policy dynamics of smaller States such as Sri Lanka have been interdependence and bandwagoning. The establishment of diplomatic links of more than half a century with the US, India and China has seen many a milestone moment on the road to an effective bilateral relationship. In the first few years after independence, Sri Lanka’s foreign policy formulation was determined by two factors: its colonial past and its proximity to India. India’s neighbour Ceylon adopted its first Republican Constitution on 22 May 1972 while changing the country’s name to Sri Lanka and establishing an independent republic. Similar to India, Sri Lanka’s first republican foreign policy came with domestic aspirations which were Eastward-oriented within a broad framework of non-alignment firmly founded on national and regional interests. Under President J.R. Jayewardene, Sri Lanka’s foreign policy re-established and maintained a good and constructive relationship with the West as a matter of prime importance.

However, after 1988 Sri Lanka’s external policy orientation shifted from one position to another, aligning with different interests at different points. Concerns about Sri Lanka’s international legitimacy played an integral role during the 1995 to 2005 administration . With the end of the conflict in 2009, post-war reconstruction made it vital for Sri Lanka to deviate from its former foreign policy model. At this stage, China’s attributes and process of dealing with small island States such as Sri Lanka has advantages as well as grave challenges in the long run. It could be debated that after 2014, Sri Lanka’s foreign policy dynamics saw a sea change with India implementing its Neighbourhood First policy. A vital policy that Sri Lanka is implementing under the guidance of the new government is the ‘India First’ approach. The challenge for Sri Lanka in the face of external pressure where diplomacy has been the key tool in relationship building has been maintaining stability and sovereignty.

The Maldives: Interdependency and External Balancing

The Maldives positioned well within the boundaries of the Indian strategic orbit is a vital buffer zone that divides the Eastern and Western Indian Ocean . Since establishing diplomatic ties in 1972, Maldives has enjoyed cordial relations with China. The Sino-Maldives linkages dramatically increased from around the mid-2000s. Between 1978 and 2008, during the tenure of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, India enjoyed favourable ties with the Maldives without significant interference from China. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia are the two most important Middle Eastern countries having ties with the Maldives. The two South Asian neighbouring island nations; Sri Lanka and the Maldives have had longstanding relations with trade in place even before forming formal diplomatic ties on 26 July 1965. Hence, the strong neighbourly ties between the two nations are unbreakable.

The notable transformation that was observed in 2003 to the democratic processes in the Maldives is beyond scholarly discourse. After 20 years, the current democratic dividends secured by this island nation speak for themselves. In this regard, the contributions of former Maldivian leaders such as Ibrahim Naseer, Maumoon Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed to solidify island to island relationships in spite of the shifting political dynamics and the test of time cannot be forgotten. However, there were several uncertainties in the nation’s challenging path towards constitutional making of a new and modern democratic system.

Today, India maintains solid relations with the Maldivian Government and may have the upper hand since 2018 when the Maldives declared its “India First” foreign policy. To balance foreign policy interests, the new Maldivian Government continues to maintain interest in China’s Belt and Road Initiative. In order to address global challenges, the Maldives has been a strong advocate of multilateralism and international cooperation. Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid was elected as the 76th president of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). In addition, the island nation has taken the lead role in promoting regional collaboration and security in South Asia in recent years.

International Affairs of Mauritius ,Seychelles and La Réunion

With the changing political dynamics, Mauritius and Seychelles had to adjust their foreign policy relations and reshape their policy objectives. A very important part of foreign interface is certainly economic diplomacy. India has been one of the key beneficiaries of the new US foreign policy. The geographic location of Mauritius and Seychelles in the Indian Ocean is pivotal for these nations to be included in advancing India’s strategic interests. The nature of India’s relations with Mauritius and Seychelles will determine the future of these nations in the pursuit for regional continuity, promoting strategic interests and strengthening economic prosperity.La Réunion, a European tropical island territory is an outermost region of the European Union and is part of the Eurozone.

IOR Diplomacy: Doctrinal Transitions in a New Era

In the long term, the nature and processes of dealing with small island nations will have benefits as well as serious challenges. The US, China, India and the Indian Ocean island nations share solid and steady economic interdependence. As India and China are both emerging powers, it is important for Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Réunion to map out how they balance their standing between the US and two powerful Asian nations in their future foreign policy doctrines.

About the author:

Dr. Srimal Fernando received his PhD in International Affairs. He was the recipient of the prestigious O.P. Jindal Doctoral Fellowship and SAU Scholarship under the SAARC umbrella. As a Lecturer, he focuses on the comparative politics of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Dr. Fernando is a specialist in International Relations and an adviser on New Regional Diplomacy. He has received accolades such as the 2018/2019 ‘Best Journalist of the Year’ in South Africa, (GCA) Media Award for 2016 and the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) accolade. He is the author of ‘Politics, Economics and Connectivity:
In Search of the South Asian Union.’

By Dr Srimal Fernando