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“Location – Location – LOCATION” Defence Diplomacy & Indo-Pacific Strategies for SL-By Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne Source:Newswire The former U.S. Indo -Pacific Commander Admiral Harry Harris, delivering his keynote speech at Galle Dialogue 2016 attributed Sri Lanka’s strategic importance to the US on three factors; “Location, location and location”. These words by Admiral Harris amply highlight the geopolitical importance of Sri Lanka in the Indo-Pacific region and in the global context. Former Indian National Security Adviser (NSA) and Foreign Secretary, Shiv Shankar Menon in his book Choices described Sri Lanka as a permanent Aircraft carrier for India in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Though this claim could politically be contentious, it transpires a geopolitical reality of the region. It is no secret that other global powers like China and Russia also look at Sri Lanka through a similar geopolitical lens. On the other hand, this island nation is also ...