The former Minister of State for External Affairs of India, M.J.

Akbar says India expects Sri Lanka and the other independent countries in the region to consider the safety of the neighbouring countries when making policy decisions.The former Indian State Minister made these remarks while observing the expansion of India’s reach beyond its traditional neighbourhood at a Webinar organized by the Pathfinder Foundation.Furthermore, former State Minister Akbar emphasized that the ‘neighbourhood first’ policy of India is based on the mutual understanding of the nations among each other.Pointing out that Sri Lanka is also an independent country with independent views, he expressed that Sri Lanka must consider India’s security in decision making.