NONALIGNED FOREIGN POLICY A DEFENSE DIPLOMACY OF SRI LANKA IN THE INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY

: This article tries to elaborate the strategic position Indian Ocean in the current international relations. This region has become a crucial theatre for the global sea lanes of communication with pivot to Asia policy. As a littoral country in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka relies heavily on the SLOCs in the Indian ocean. Against this background, this article also elaborates the implementation of defence diplomacy by Sri Lanka adopting nonalignment as the governing principle of its foreign policy. The thesis presents two possible scenarios: the successful adoption of nonalignment, balancing Sri Lanka’s geostrategic interests with major Indian Ocean Region (IOR) power players to enhance maritime capabilities and confidence building activities related maritime domain in order to establish maritime security in the region.


Introduction
Sri Lanka is now dominated by a huge number of foreign nations investing financially in Sri Lanka due to its geopolitical position in the Indian Ocean. In comparison to other South Asian countries, Sri Lanka occupies a critical strategic position in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka is at a fantastic location. Only 6 to 10 nautical miles separate the island of Sri Lanka from the main east-west shipping route. More than 60,000 ships, two-thirds of the world's oil, and half of all containers pass via this route each year. Along with Sri Lanka, India's market is gaining traction. Sri Lanka is a major base for military bases and maritime security in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka is a very important place to establish a naval base to monitor the Indian Ocean and the increasingly busy shipping lanes. No other country in the South Asian region can match the geographical location of Sri Lanka. Countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives have their geographical and strategic importance. But from a naval strategic point of view, Sri Lanka is reaping more benefits, including the protection of Sri Lanka's strategic qualities, coastline, and maritime traffic. Sri Lanka's geographical location can play an important role in maintaining India's security. Sri Lanka is located at the centre of maritime trade routes in West and East Asia, as well as in the middle of Africa, the Arab, and Eastern worlds. (Malik, 2013).
The Indian Ocean is a stage on which the world's main naval nations seek to project their power in pursuit of their various national goals. The developing Indo-Pacific geopolitical landscape, as well as the significant strategic focus on it by major powers, both regional and extra-regional, have brought complexity and stress to countries such as Sri Lanka. Because of the strategic reach of key maritime powers in the IOR, the situation will remain difficult. With a well-articulated foreign policy posture developed by the country, Sri Lanka's priceless geographical location will Jurnal Diplomasi Pertahanan, Volume 9, Nomor 1, 2023 E-ISSN 2746-8496 128 become an economic benefit. The emerging new dynamics of the Indian Ocean will demand SLN to modernise its naval force in terms of shaping our naval fleet, sensors and training in order to undertake various threats by understanding ways and acquiring means to face the challenges in future. Naval diplomacy entails the use of naval forces in support of foreign policy objectives to build 'bridges of friendship' and strengthen international cooperation on one hand and to signal capability and intent to deter potential adversaries on the other(Sri Lanka Navy, 2020). The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) is retooling its maritime strategy to face the evolving and emerging security challenges in its maritime domain, including illegal unreported and unregulated fishing, drug trafficking via sea routes, human smuggling, the illegal exploitation of natural resources, maritime terrorism with asymmetric tactics, and piracy. In addition, climate change and rising sea levels also threaten security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). This paper reviews security dilemma in the Indian Ocean region perspective of Sri Lanka strategic location and then, we attempt to seek Implementation of defence diplomacy by Sri Lanka Navy dealing with regional and extra regional naval powers. Finally, we attempt to seek success of capacity building and confidence building measure with Non-Align foreign policy perspective.

Literature Review
Mostly overlooked for the entire 20th century, the Indian Ocean, or sometimes named the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), has garnered significant attention from the world's great and emerging powers due to its geopolitical importance.(Bagus Dharma Agastia & Agung Banyu Perwita, 2016). Sri Lanka is a small nation that is nevertheless very strategically placed, at a critical location within the Indian Ocean and this has focused the attention of many powers. In this context, SLN should determine to maintain progressive, positive relations with all the concern stakeholders in maritime operations in line with our national interests. As an island nation with this strategic location, SLN has a huge task and responsibility in protecting the territorial, the contiguous and the EEZ with the added responsibility of a large search and rescue region and in the near future an even a large area after ratification of the continental margins.(Sri Lanka Navy, 2020) Foreign policy is a policy taken by the government of a country or other political community in relations with the state and non-state actors at international level.
According to Walter Carlsnaes, foreign policy is actions directed at targets, conditions and actors (both government and non-government) that are outside of their territorial area that they want to influence. These actions are expressed in the form of goals, International relations, each country has its own national interests. Oftentimes, national interests of a country intersect and even clash with the interests of other countries. This condition has the potential to cause friction and, in some cases, conflict in the country. The state employs diplomatic tools to protect or advance its national interests. Diplomacy is often associated with soft power, whereas military might is associated with hard power. In the advance learner's dictionary of current English, it is stated that" Diplomacy is a skill in making a cleverness in dealing with people arrangement so that they remain friendly and willing to help." While Sir Ernest Satow, defined it as "The application of tact and intelligence to the conduct of foreign relations between government and independent states." It can be inferred that diplomacy is a skill in determining how to win our interests without having causing hostility. In regard to defence, defence diplomacy can be a meaningful way to win national interest

Methodology
This artical is qualitative in nature. This study applies the qualitative technique, which is described as a research method that aims to comprehend a phenomenon experienced by a subject in a holistic manner, including behaviours, perceptions, motivations, actions, and so on. The findings will then be communicated organically and through various scientific methodologies in the form of words and language. The artical subjects were informants who were involved in their respective fields of duty, the object of this research is the role of SLN in defence diplomacy, the capacity and capability of SLN in diplomacy.

Discussion
Sri Lanka is being an island and her defence, security, development, and future challenges should be looked through the premise of her as a maritime nation. Sri

Lanka's location in the Indian Ocean region as an island State is of geostrategic
importance to all major global powers. It is also a strategically important maritime hub in the Indian Ocean. In this context, it very important for Sri Lanka as a small country in a geostrategic location to maintain good bilateral and multilateral relations with regional powers and as well as the superpower. Sri Lanka's One of the main national security policy objective is to Strengthening partnerships and relations for regional, and international security and stability.(Sri Lanka Navy, 2020) Sri Lankan foreign policy changed from non-aligned status to aligned status and vice versa. The present government that came to power in 2015 revised the foreign policy of Sri Lanka, favouring a more balanced posture. security in the IOR. Wijesinghe opines: "Our country needs a Sri Lanka friendly foreign policy aiming at the developments and the prosperity of the Nation, not necessarily prompting any group or ideology.

The Role of SLN in Defence Diplomacy
On the role in defence diplomacy, the deployment of peacekeeping forces and the appointment of Defence Attachés will be the sole focus. According to the progress report published by the Ministry of Defence in year 2021, the Sri Lanka Navy deployed only three defence attaches, namely India, Australia, and Indonesia, to conduct military assistance programs. They were mostly deployed in maritime nations to enhance maritime security through coordinated efforts. Furthermore, just two naval personnel from the navy and UNFIL participated in the peacekeeping effort in West Sahara. From the foregoing, it is clear that the Sri Lanka Navy lacks the execution of defence diplomacy in peacekeeping missions and the placement of defence attaches in regional and extra-regional maritime nations.
The following is the quantitative summary of the training courses, workshops, seminars, exercises attended by Sri Lanka Navy personnel and ship for confidence building and capacity building activities 2018, 2019 and 2020 as per the performance report of the ministry of defence each year.  India  77  108  97  02  05  3  Pakistan  57  23  05  02  01  01  06  03  01  4  China  27  23  03  02  5  Bangladesh  01  01  01  01  01  03  01  6  UK  01  7  Indonesia  01  8  Malaysia  01  9  Switzerland  10 Philippine  01  11 Other  04  Total  161  154  103  07  04  02  07  07  04  16   Table 3 Table 4 The Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the SLN engages in international naval exercises to improve regional cooperation and interoperability (Liyanagamage, 2018).  Overall, the SLN plays a vital role in addressing regional maritime security concerns and serving as an interface between enemies for interoperability with the goal of maintaining peaceful waters. The SLN contributes to global maritime security by attending all regional seminars and improving capability and capacity with friendly navies and coast guards. Furthermore, strong maritime cooperation is critical in establishing and maintaining strong partnerships across countries.
Despite the difficulties of transformation, the SLN is on the right track. The new administration in Sri Lanka has allowed the SLN to work more closely with the US, India, and other countries rather than only with China. So far, the SLN has received ships from the United States, India, China, and Japan, increasing its operational capability in deep seas enhancing defence capability of the SLN.

Conclusion
SLN undertook a confidence-building, capacity-building, and strategic partnership among the world's most powerful navies. Fleet exercises, crew exchange programs, overseas training for officers and sailors in the United States, India, Pakistan, China, and Japan, a new naval strategy, Naval staff talks, defence talks, the annual the United States on HADR operations The formation of the first-ever SLN marine battalion and the hydrographic unit has helped to alleviate the severe non-seagoing personnel shortage. Regardless of new developments, the SLN must "right size" and collaborate with every maritime nation in order to ensure maritime security in its area.
On the international level, SLN still has a long way to go in terms of integrating the global maritime axis as part of its non-alignment foreign policy in order to improve defence diplomacy and achieve maritime security in the region.

Acknowledgement
This essay is the outcome of a consistent effort. and provide me extensive professional guidance. Finally, I would like to thank my family, whose love and guidance are with me in whatever I pursue.