Relationship dossier
Sri Lanka
Western Sahara
Relationship assessment
Sri Lanka’s recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic was later withdrawn
Sri Lanka toward Western Sahara
0Sri Lanka recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1980 and withdrew recognition in 2010, indicating a change in its policy toward the Western Sahara dispute.
Western Sahara toward Sri Lanka
Not assessedOverall relationship
Not assessedHow to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Sri Lanka recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1980 and withdrew recognition in 2010, reflecting a change in its government policy toward the Western Sahara dispute. Information about the Sahrawi authorities’ government conduct toward Sri Lanka is insufficient to assess that relationship.
Key developments
Sri Lanka recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Sri Lanka withdrew recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and status of any bilateral arrangements following Sri Lanka’s withdrawal of recognition are unclear.
- Details of Sahrawi government cooperation with Sri Lanka are limited.