India & Sri Lanka review defence & security cooperation at annual defence dialogue
During the meeting which ended on Saturday, the two sides reviewed the defence and security cooperation, the Indian High Commission said here.
Various ongoing defence cooperation initiatives were jointly reviewed and new avenues for engagement were identified during the ADD, it said.
Sri Lanka’s delegation included Air Marshal SK Pathirana, Commander of Sri Lanka Air Force along with senior officers from the Sri Lanka Army and the Navy.
The Indian delegation included officials from the Ministry of Defence, Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, Service Headquarters and Ministry of External Affairs.
Sri Lanka and India agreed to increase the intensity of bilateral military exercises and vowed to avail maximum benefits from each other’s experience and capacities, a move that came amid China’s attempts to expand its influence in the Indian Ocean region.
ADD is an annual apex-level defence engagement between the two countries to discuss regional security situations, common security challenges and avenues for closer defence cooperation towards ensuring ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’ (SAGAR).
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