Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar will begin a four-day visit to Sri Lanka on December 13 with an aim to bolster overall bilateral maritime cooperation amid concerns in India over China’s persistent attempts to expand influence over the island nation.
“Admiral R. Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), will be visiting Sri Lanka from December 13 to 16,” the Indian Navy said in a statement.
The Chief of the Naval Staff has been invited as the Chief Guest and Reviewing Officer for the commissioning parade at the Naval and Maritime Academy (NMA) in Trincomalee, scheduled on December 15.
During the visit, the CNS will undertake interactions with senior political and defence leadership of Sri Lanka. He would also be visiting other defence establishments of the Sri Lankan armed forces and reviewing the progress of various bilateral defence cooperation activities.
“The Indian Navy regularly interacts with the Sri Lanka Navy through the medium of annual Staff Talks and pursues several operational engagements at a regular frequency,” the Ministry of Defence said in a press release.
The Indian Navy supports several capacity-building measures of the Sri Lanka Navy, like the provision of naval platforms, including indigenously constructed Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) and the Dornier aircraft of the Indian Navy deployed to Sri Lanka since August 2022, the press release further stated.
Furthermore, the Indian navy remains actively involved in various capability enhancement projects, including training the Sri Lanka Navy personnel in India. According to the Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka Navy is a regular participant of various multilateral engagements hosted by the Indian Navy, including the MILAN, Goa Maritime Conclave, and Admiral’s Cup Sailing Regatta.
Earlier on December 6, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India, Milinda Moragoda held a meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Moragoda thanked Sitharaman for the brief emergency assistance India has provided to the island nation throughout its difficult period.
The Sri Lankan envoy also briefed the finance minister on Sri Lanka’s ongoing discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the present status of the country’s debt restructuring process, according to the official statement of the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi.
