Indo-SL to boost defence ties

In a bid to boost defence ties between the two countries, Sri Lanka and India on Monday decided to hold a formal annual defence dialogue and staff level talks between their armies and navies from next year, the IANS said.

It also decided to hold a joint naval exercise next year as part of a series of measures to enhance their defence cooperation.

The decisions were taken at the defence secretary level talks in Colombo. The two sides were led by Indian Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar and his Sri Lankan counterpart, Gotabhaya Rajapakse.



It was also decided that the Indian Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Naik, will visit Sri Lanka next month.

Senior officers of the three services, the Coast Guard and the ministries of defence and external affairs also took part in the discussions from the Indian side. The Sri Lankan side was assisted by the commanders of the three services.

'New Delhi and Colombo have common security concerns, including the security and safety of sea lanes of communication. Both sides agreed that these common concerns will form the basis for bilateral exchanges,' the defence ministry statement said.