German Navy ship ‘BAYERN’ drops anchor in Colombo amid intense geopolitical competition

By Sanath Nanayakkare

The German frigate “BAYERN” which arrived in Sri Lanka on January 15, will leave today after completing its business in the country for the time being, looking forward to making more trips to Colombo in the future.

“Sri Lankan authorities including the Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. G.L Peiris and Foreign Secretary, Admiral Jayanath Colombage have made the German Navy feel welcome to return to Sri Lanka for our increased engagement in the Indo-Pacific aimed at maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific for all, while building strong and lasting partnerships, Tilo Kalski, the commanding officer of the “BAYERN” told The Island Financial Review (IFR) yesterday.

German Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Holger Seubert told the IFR that Sri Lankan authorities showed great enthusiasm in the EU and Germany broadening their footprint in the Indo-Pacific region.

“The fact that a German frigate drops anchor at Colombo port testifies the outstandingly high quality of Germany’s bilateral relations with Sri Lanka. The visit gives expression to Germany’s determination to broaden its footprint in the Indo-Pacific region. Germany with its ‘Policy Guidelines for the Indo-Pacific’ as well as the EU with its ‘European Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific’, follow an inclusive and rules-based approach that relies on consultation, not confrontation,” he emphasised.

“I contently take note that Sri Lanka shares our desire to preserve the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific, including the freedom of navigation,” the Ambassador observed.

“We are not naïve not to notice that current dynamics in the Indo-Pacific have given rise to intense geopolitical competition adding to increasing tensions on trade and supply chains as well as in technological, political and security areas. This is the reason why the EU has decided to step up its strategic engagement with the Indo-Pacific region,” the Ambassador opined.

“The Indo-Pacific region is increasingly becoming strategically important for the EU. Sri Lanka is well positioned in that region. The region’s growing economic, demographic, and political weight makes it a key player in shaping the international order and in addressing global challenges.

The EU and the Indo-Pacific are highly interconnected. The EU is already the top investor, the leading development cooperation partner and one of the biggest trading partners in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.

“The basic message is that the EU will deepen its engagement with partners in the Indo-Pacific to respond to emerging dynamics that are affecting regional stability,” the German Ambassador reiterated.

Together, the Indo-Pacific and Europe hold over 70% of the global trade in goods and services, as well as over 60% of foreign direct investment flows.

The Sri Lankan and German Navies will carry out a joint naval exercise today before the ‘BAYERN’ starts sailing for Haifa port city in Israel.