Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry clarifies invitation to Myanmar junta to attend BIMSTEC meeting.

Media Statement by the Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry;

There have been reports on social media platforms in regard to an invitation extended to the Foreign Minister of Myanmar to attend the 17th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting hosted virtually on 1st April 2021, in Colombo.

Sri Lanka as the Chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the host of the Ministerial Meeting has invited all Member States (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand) to participate in the discussions in order to finalise documents of the 5th BIMSTEC Summit expected to be held later this year in Sri Lanka.

Newly appointed foreign minister of the military government in Myanmar’s Wunna Maung Lwin received a formal invitation for a virtual meeting .

But it has raised accusations in social media that Sri Lanka is endorsing the military coup that removed Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government.