Sri Lanka will be friendly with all nations, but neutral in matters among int'l powers: Gotabaya

Sri Lanka's newly-elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa delivered a measured speech on Monday at his swearing-in ceremony, saying his country will maintain friendly ties with all nations and remain neutral in matters involving international powers so as to stay out of conflicts.

70-year-old controversial wartime defence secretary's statement is of importance as Sri Lanka has historically been an important commercial hub along maritime routes due to its strategic position in Indian Ocean, where China is increasingly making its inros, raising concerns in India.

Rajapaksa stormed to victory on Sunday, trouncing his nearest rival Sajith Premasa by a margin of over 13 lakh votes - 52.25 per cent of votes polled against 41.99 per cent.

In his first dress to nation at Ruwanweli Seya in Anurhapura, Rajapaksa spoke on matters such as foreign policy and sustainable development.

On foreign policy, newly-elected President ted that Sri Lanka will remain friendly with all nations but would remain neutral so as to stay out of conflicts between international powers, Sri Lankan news outlet News First reported.

He also pledged to support UN's sustainable development goals and make Sri Lanka one of leing countries in sustainable development.

President Rajapaksa assured that corruption would t be tolerated under his ministration.

Rajapaksa, who ruthlessly ended Sri Lanka's nearly 30-year civil war with LTTE, is both respected and reviled in island nation where he is considered a "war hero" by Sinhalese Buddhist majority, but mostly distrusted by mirity Tamils.

A former military man, Rajapaksa attended counter-insurgency and jungle warfare school in Assam in 1980, served as defence secretary during his elder bror Mahinda Rajapaksa's tenure as president from 2005 to 2014.

In 1983, he also got a masters in Defence Studies from University of Mras.

Rajapaksa visited India in 2012 and 2013 in his capacity as defence secretary.

While families of ethnic Tamils killed or disappeared during civil war accuse Rajapaksa of war crimes, Muslims fear his popularity among Sinhalese Buddhists will furr deepen divide between two communities post Easter Sunday attacks carried out by Islamist extremists that claimed 269 lives.

Hindus and Muslims toger constitute approximately 20 per cent of Sri Lanka's population.

Though dubbed as "war hero", role of Rajapaksa in ending conflict with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) with death of its supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran in 2009 is quite divisive as he stands accused of violating human rights, a charge he vehemently denies.

During his first media interaction in October after being declared as a presidential candidate of Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP), Rajapaksa said if elected, he would t hour country's commitments to UN Human Rights Council on post-war accountability and reconciliation.

"We will always work with United Nations, but I can't recognise what y (UN) have signed with () past governments," he said.

Sri Lanka co-sponsored a United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution in September 2015 which me it committed to fulfil a range of measures dealing with human rights, accountability and transitional justice.

Rajapaksa is accused of overseeing torturing and indiscriminate killings of both civilians and combatants, and later of political assassinations.

He and his bror Mahinda are also accused of condoning sexual violence and extrajudicial killings allegedly by Lankan security forces during war.

Rajapaksa, who was a top target of Tamil Tigers, survived an assassination attempt in December 2006 by an LTTE suicide bomber. He is also considered to be tilted towards cash-rich China.

During his bror Mahinda's regime, China started investing heavily in infrastructure projects in island nation as Lanka faced international isolation at tail end of civil war.

Critics say it was due to Mahinda that country has fallen into "Chinese debt trap".

Hambantota port, which was funded by a Chinese loan during Mahinda's regime, was leased to Beijing on a 99-year debt-for-equity swap in 2017 after country failed to pay off debt.

Born on June 20, 1949, in Palatuwa in Matara district, Rajapaksa, who hails from a high-profile political family, is fifth of nine siblings.

His far D A Rajapaksa was a prominent politician in 1960s in Wijeyananda Dahanayake government and also a founding member of Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

He joined Ceylon Army as a Cet Officer in 1971. In 1991, he was appointed Deputy Commandant of Sir John Kotelawala Defence Acemy and held position until his early retirement from army in 1992.

During his 20 years of military service, Rajapaksa received awards for gallantry from three Lankan presidents - J R Jayewardene, Ranasinghe Premasa and D B Wijetunga.

In 2005, he returned to Lanka to assist his bror Mahinda's presidential election campaign. During that time, he obtained a dual citizenship from Sri Lanka.

He was appointed to post of defence secretary in vember 2005 by n newly elected president Mahinda. In this capacity, he oversaw military operation which eventually defeated LTTE in May 2009 and earned him tag of a "war hero".

Rajapaksa is married and has a son.