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Sri Lanka`s President AKD is currently on a state visit to India . Many misleading claims are being spread about his visit and how the Indian government is treating him.
Social Media Posts
Social media posts claim that the Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was disrespected during his meeting with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar because they sat on chairs of the same level with the flags of both countries displayed behind them. These posts allege that such a setup is inappropriate, as it is customary to display national flags only during meetings between heads of state/head of governments and not between a head of state and a foreign minister.
Fact-Check:
To verify this claim, we examined photographic and video evidence from official sources, consulted experts, and reviewed international diplomatic practices.
Context:
In Sri Lanka, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is the head of state, while in India, the head of state is President Droupadi Murmu. During President Anura Kumara’s visit to India, he was officially welcomed by President Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also in attendance. The visit included meetings with both Prime Minister Modi and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar as well as president Murmu. Social media users highlighted the use of flags and seating arrangements during the meeting with Jaishankar, alleging disrespect towards the Sri Lankan president.
Diplomatic Practices:
We consulted Dr. George Cooke, an expert in international relations at the University of Colombo. According to Dr. Cooke, the display of national flags during meetings between a head of state and a foreign minister is not unusual and depends on the host country’s protocol. Such practices vary across the world and are not indicative of disrespect.
In this case, the use of flags during the meeting with Foreign Minister Jaishankar aligns with India’s diplomatic protocol. It is a common practice during official meetings
Visual Evidence:
Photographs from the meeting between President Anura Kumara and Foreign Minister Jaishankar show the two leaders seated on chairs of equal height with the flags of India and Sri Lanka displayed behind them. This is consistent with standard protocol for bilateral meetings.
However, no flags were displayed during President Anura Kumara’s meeting with Prime Minister Modi and President Murmu.
This variation in protocol does not imply disrespect but reflects the host country’s discretion in arranging formal settings for different types of meetings.
International Precedents:
A review of international news archives reveals numerous instances where heads of governments or head of states have met with foreign ministers, and national flags have been displayed. This includes meetings between U.S. Presidents and foreign ministers from other countries, as well as meetings involving European and Asian leaders. The display of flags is not exclusively reserved for meetings between two heads of state.
Britain’s Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, welcomes United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, during a bilateral meeting, in London, Britain on Sept 10. More details from here
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi, India, July 28, 2021.More details from here
Russian FM Sergei Lavrov to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022 …More details can be watched here
When we asked about this from Indian High Commission, they say this a standard practice.We also noticed that when we check this with previous meetings of government heads or state heads Indian external affairs minister talked with them in similar settings.
Below is how Jaishnkar met the Maldives president in previous October
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Conclusion:
The claim that the Indian government disrespected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during his meeting with Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar is false. The seating arrangement and the display of national flags were in line with India’s standard diplomatic protocol. Such practices are not indicative of disrespect and are commonly observed in bilateral meetings across the world.
Social media users’ interpretation of the protocol appears to stem from a misunderstanding of international diplomatic practices. The presence or absence of flags during meetings depends on the host country’s discretion and does not signify the status or importance of the visiting leader.
Title:Did India Display Disrespect Towards Sri Lankan President AKD During His Meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar?
Fact Check By: Kalana KrishanthaResult: Misleading
