India reaffirms defence ties during Army Chief’s Sri Lanka visit

Colombo, January 8 (Daily Mirror) - Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army, General Upendra Dwivedi, paid a courtesy call on Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara at his office in Colombo yesterday.

The Deputy Minister extended a warm welcome to the Indian Army Chief, and the two held cordial discussions reaffirming the long-standing historical, cultural, and civilizational links between Sri Lanka and India.

On behalf of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the people of Sri Lanka, the Deputy Defence Minister expressed sincere appreciation to the Government of India for its extensive support during the recent disaster caused by Cyclone Ditwah. He noted that India’s timely assistance, including the deployment of disaster relief teams and the provision of humanitarian aid, played a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s relief and recovery efforts. Indian teams, he added, continue to assist in ongoing relief and rebuilding operations.

Major General Jayasekara also commended the strong operational cooperation between the two countries’ defence forces, particularly in the successful interception of narcotics and other transnational crimes in maritime domains.

Discussions further focused on ongoing and future defence cooperation, including collaboration in advanced technology, capacity building, training, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.

General Dwivedi praised the national unity and resilience demonstrated by the Sri Lankan government and people in responding to the recent disaster. He reaffirmed India’s strong commitment to deepening defence cooperation with Sri Lanka across the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and reiterated India’s readiness to continue supporting humanitarian assistance, disaster response, training, and capacity-building initiatives.

The Indian Army Chief also highlighted the importance of strengthening people-to-people ties through engagement at junior, middle, and senior leadership levels to build lasting trust and transparency. He emphasized the value of joint training and exchange programmes to enhance disaster response mechanisms from the national to tactical levels, ensuring effective coordination during emergencies.