Colombo l
India and Sri Lanka are moving to deepen defence ties, with a focus on enhancing maritime security and expanding strategic cooperation, as part of the first high-level dialogue held after the signing of their new defence partnership agreement in April.
The discussions took place during the India-Sri Lanka Defence Dialogue in Colombo on Thursday. According to Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry, both sides explored ways to strengthen military collaboration and identify new areas for joint training and strategic engagement.
High-Level Participation
The Sri Lankan delegation was led by Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), while Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh headed the Indian side.
“The high-level dialogue focused on strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, enhancing maritime security, and exploring new avenues for collaboration in training and strategic engagement,” said an official statement.
Senior defence officials from both nations participated, reaffirming the strong and evolving defence partnership.
Strengthening Defence Ties
The Indian Defence Secretary also held separate meetings with Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) and Defence Secretary Thuyacontha to discuss further cooperation.
The talks marked a key follow-up to the India-Sri Lanka Defence Partnership Agreement, signed on April 5, 2025, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Colombo. The agreement — the first formal pact between the two nations on defence cooperation — comes nearly four decades after the troubled period of India’s Peace Keeping Force intervention in Sri Lanka.
A New Era of Collaboration
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had earlier stated that the agreement will institutionalise military engagement between the two countries and pave the way for structured cooperation, including in the defence industrial sector.
Both nations are expected to step up joint efforts in maritime surveillance, disaster response, and capacity building in the Indian Ocean region — an area of increasing strategic interest.
