Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Concludes Landmark Sri Lanka Tour

 COLOMBO (News 1st); Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh departed Sri Lanka on Thursday (10) afternoon, concluding a landmark official visit that underscored the growing strategic, defence, and economic partnership between India and Sri Lanka, while reaffirming the importance of the two neighbours in shaping stability across the Indian Ocean region.

The visit, the first by an Indian Defence Minister to Sri Lanka in 38 years, was marked by a series of high-level engagements aimed at expanding cooperation in defence, maritime security, regional stability, disaster response, infrastructure development, and people-to-people ties.

Having arrived in Sri Lanka on September 8, Minister Singh engaged in extensive discussions with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, focusing on strengthening existing defence, economic, maritime and regional partnerships between the two countries, while also exploring new avenues of cooperation built upon their longstanding historical and cultural relationship.

As part of his final day in Sri Lanka, Rajnath Singh visited the revered Seetha Amman Temple in Nuwara Eliya, a site closely associated with the Ramayana tradition and one that symbolizes the deep historical and civilizational links shared by India and Sri Lanka for centuries.

During the visit, he also met members of Sri Lanka's Indian-origin plantation community, highlighting the enduring human connections that continue to serve as a bridge between the two nations.

The Indian Defence Minister's itinerary also included a visit to Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, where he was received by Deputy Defence Minister Major General (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekara. In addition, Singh met a group of former Sri Lankan cricketers, reflecting the broader cultural and sporting ties that complement the growing strategic relationship between the two countries.

In a major outcome of the visit, three new agreements were exchanged in the presence of President Dissanayake and Minister Singh, signalling a significant expansion of defence cooperation between the two countries.

The agreements cover the modernization and upgrading of L70 gun systems for the Sri Lanka Air Force, academic cooperation between India's National Defence College and Sri Lanka's National Defence College, and enhanced collaboration between the Sri Lanka Cadet Corps and the Indian Cadet Corps. The agreements were formally exchanged by Deputy Defence Minister Major General (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekara and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha.

Another notable highlight of the visit was the virtual inauguration of three Bailey bridges constructed in the Kurunegala and Batticaloa districts under a grant provided by the Government of India.

President Dissanayake and Minister Singh jointly joined the ceremony, which saw the opening of the bridges along the Pansiyagama-Kurunegala, Kabellawa-Kurunegala, and Palugamam-Batticaloa road networks.

The bridges form part of India's post-disaster rehabilitation assistance programme and are intended to restore critical transportation links damaged by Cyclone Ditwah, improving connectivity and supporting the livelihoods of affected communities.