Sri Lanka must embrace technology and new global order or risk becoming insignificant: Ranil

Newswire reports that former President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed the 50th webinar of ICC Sri Lanka on Monday (26), urging Sri Lanka to adapt quickly to changes in technology and the global order. He said the country needed economic and social transformation, with modernisation driven by technology, to remain internationally relevant.

Newswire reports that Wickremesinghe called for a competitive economy and for Sri Lanka to develop as a maritime logistics hub in the Indian Ocean. He urged closer economic cooperation with India, stronger links with countries around the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia, and eventual regional economic integration. He also advocated that Sri Lanka join BRICS and strengthen its relations with the United States, China, Russia and Japan, taking a more transactional approach to international relations.

Newswire says Wickremesinghe proposed assessing the effectiveness of the Indian Ocean Rim Association and BIMSTEC, speeding up the Colombo Security Conclave, and building a technologically advanced navy equipped with small- and medium-sized vessels. He also stressed protecting Sri Lanka’s economic interests in the Indian Ocean, particularly the continued functioning of the Suez Canal and the Gulf, which he identified as vital to the country.

Newswire reports that Wickremesinghe described artificial intelligence and emerging technologies as increasingly central to national sovereignty and global power. He pointed to the United States and China as leading powers in AI and computing; the report’s account of his remarks ends while beginning to refer to other countries.