Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to begin three-day Sri Lanka visit today

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will begin his three-day official visit to Sri Lanka on Tuesday, during which he will hold talks with the island nation's leadership on various issues and interact with the Indian diaspora in Colombo.

Rajnath Singh will lead a high-level delegation comprising senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of External Affairs.

According to the Ministry of Defence, this visit will further strengthen the traditionally strong and friendly bilateral relations in mutually beneficial areas, including a strong maritime and defence partnership.

"India and Sri Lanka share deep civilisational ties and a multifaceted partnership, anchored by regional security, defence, economic and trade cooperation and strong people-to-people ties. The bilateral relationship received further impetus when India assisted Sri Lanka during the economic crisis and provided assistance, as one of the first responders, in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka in 2025," a statement by the Defence Minister said.

"It underscored India's continued commitment and emphasis on 'Neighbourhood First' policy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions)," it added.

India had announced a reconstruction package of $450 million to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. It covered rehabilitation and restoration of road, railway and bridge connectivity; construction of destroyed and damaged houses; health and education sectors; agriculture; and better disaster response and preparedness.

In August, Sri Lankan Navy Commander Vice-Admiral Damian Fernando was on an official visit to India. During the visit, he met Chief of Defence Staff General N.S. Raja Subramani and reviewed bilateral defence cooperation.

"CDS General N.S. Raja Subramani interacted with Vice-Admiral Damian Fernando, Sri Lanka Navy Commander, during his official visit to India. ​The leaders reviewed existing bilateral defence cooperation, explored new avenues for joint military training and capacity enhancement, and discussed key regional security matters to further deepen the India–Sri Lanka strategic partnership," the Headquarters of Integrated Defence Staff posted on X.

Vice-Admiral Fernando also called on Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, with the discussions focusing on the progress of various initiatives under the Bilateral Defence Cooperation Plan between the two countries.

Fernando also met Indian Navy chief, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, during which the two sides discussed ways to strengthen maritime security cooperation between the two countries.

During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to uphold peace and stability in the Indian Ocean (IOR) region, aligned with India's MAHASAGAR vision, according to the Indian Navy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IANS

[email protected]