Sri Lanka joined the boycott of the 19th SAARC Summit to be held in November in Islamabad, Pakistan.

This comes after India and three other countries announced that they were boycotting the summit.

Besides India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan have pulled out of the summit, indirectly blaming Pakistan for creating an environment which is not right for the successful holding of the meet.

"Sri Lanka regrets that the prevailing environment in the region is not conducive for holding the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad on 9th and 10th November 2016," the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a carefully worded statement.

"The General Provisions of the SAARC Charter require that decisions at all levels shall be taken on the basis of unanimity, and this applies to the convening of meetings of Heads of State or Government of SAARC Member States as well" the statement further said.

It added that "Peace and security are essential elements for the success of meaningful regional cooperation for the benefit of the people of South Asia. As a founding member of SAARC, committed to regional cooperation, Sri Lanka hopes that the steps required to ensuring our region’s peace and security will be taken to create an environment that is conducive for the pursuit of regional cooperation."

The statement also commented on terrorism, which could be a veiled reference to the recent anti-terror attacks India army claimed to have carried out. "Sri Lanka condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and stresses in this regard, the need to deal with the issue of terrorism in the region in a decisive manner" the statement said.

Choosing between India and Pakistan is a delicate matter for Sri Lanka given the close relationship between the island nation and the south asian rivals.