US Ambassador on cross-servicing agreement with Sri Lanka
May 24, 2019 01:05 pm
Acquisition and Cross-Service Agreement (ACSA) between Sri Lanka and the United States was concluded with a previous government, says the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B. Teplitz.
The US Ambassador stated this speaking to the media following her visit to the Chief Prelates of Asgiriya and Malwatte chapters in Kandy yesterday (23).
The agreement, which provoked controversy, paves access for the US military to enter Sri Lankan territory and bring in basic requirements as well as ammunition.
“These are the kinds of agreements that countries make in order to facilitate their security and defence relationships. And they are done to avoid many hours of negotiating every time we have a visit,” the Ambassador stated.
As a sign of partnership with Sri Lanka we want to continue our joint exercises and continue to strengthen our defence partnership in order to ensure that Sri Lanka’s sovereignty is protected, that it has full capacity to patrol its maritime waters, and so that the region as a whole can be made stable and stronger,” she said further.
