Japan discusses developments in East China, South China Seas with Sri Lanka

Seeks to enhance cooperation with Sri Lanka for free and open Indo-Pacific region  

Japan to invite Sri Lanka to observe disaster management exercises

Both sides welcomed ongoing cooperation under MoU signed in 2019   

Plans to expand knowledge-sharing in air rescue and aeromedical transport  

In light of the increasingly complex and unpredictable regional and global security environment, Japan and Sri Lanka agreed that it is essential to further strengthen the bilateral partnership, particularly in the field of defence, for the prosperity of both nations and the broader Indo-Pacific  region, according to a statement from the Japanese Defence Ministry.  

The statement said that Japanese Defence Minister Nakatani and Deputy Minister Aruna Jayasekara agreed to it.  

Defence Minister Nakatani paid a courtesy call on Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya in Colombo.  

At the outset, Minister Nakatani and Prime Minister Amarasuriya welcomed the progress of defence cooperation between the two nations under the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation and Exchange, signed in 2019 based on the comprehensive partnership between Japan and Sri Lanka.  

Minister Nakatani held a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Defence. Both sides exchanged views on regional security situations, including developments in the East China and South China Seas, and Minister Nakatani explained that there are serious concerns regarding unilateral attempts to change the status quo.  

Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation and coordination across all units—land, maritime, and air—to promote inter-service collaboration and elevate bilateral defence ties to a higher level. Specifically, both sides agreed to the following;  

About the ground forces, JGSDF will invite Sri Lanka as an observer to several practical disaster management exercises in Japan and to engage in mutual knowledge-sharing on disaster response.  

About the naval forces, both sides will organise a seminar on the Law of the Sea during upcoming port calls by JMSDF’s vessel.  

About the air forces, both sides will expand operational knowledge-sharing through new capacity-building support, focusing on air rescue and aeromedical transport.  

Furthermore, both sides agreed to initiate a new framework for multilayered personnel exchanges. This will include the mutual exchange of future defence leaders and the dispatch of lecturers in areas such as peacekeeping operations (PKO), with the goal of strengthening the foundation of mutual understanding between the defence establishments of both countries.