SL, Japan should increase naval cooperation to ensure maritime security: President

President Maithripala Sirisena today said that as Sri Lanka and Japan are both interested in maritime security, they should further increase cooperation between the two navies to ensure international maritime security as well as safety and security in international waters.

President Sirisena made these comments when Japanese State Minister of Defense, Kenji Harada called on him at the President’s Official Residence in Colombo.

He also thanked the visiting Japanese Minister for long-standing development assistance provided to Sri Lanka.

President Sirisena said that close cooperation between the two navies should also be expanded to the army and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries would be helpful in this regard.

The MoU on defence cooperation was signed by the visiting State Minister and his counterpart, Ruwan Wijewardane at the Ministry of Defence.

President Sirisena, referring to the tripartite agreement reached between Sri Lanka, Japan and India to develop the Eastern Terminal of the Colombo Port said that this was an important step in the government's drive to develop the capacity of the Port of Colombo.

State Minister Kenji Harada said that defence and economic cooperation between Japan and Sri Lanka has made rapid progress in recent years and that the cooperation between two navies cover joint naval operations, training and logistics.

Referring to Sri Lanka’s strategic placement in the Indian Ocean, he emphasised the importance of maritime cooperation between Sri Lanka and Japan as oceans are of utmost importance to both countries. (Sandun A Jayasekera)