Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has reached Sri Lanka. On reaching Sri Lanka he was warmly and traditionally welcomed. Representatives of the Sri Lankan Government and the Indian High Commissioner were present at the Bandaranaike International Airport to welcome the Defense Minister.
He is on a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka from 8 to 10 September. He reached Colombo from New Delhi on Tuesday, the first day of his visit. The Defense Minister was received at the airport here by Sri Lankan Deputy Defense Minister Major General Arun Jayasekara (Retd) and India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha. The traditional welcome extended by the Sri Lankan side reflects the long-standing close, friendly and trusting relations between the two countries.
This visit of Rajnath Singh is being considered important to further advance the already strong relations between India and Sri Lanka. During the visit, the Defense Minister will meet and interact with the top leadership of Sri Lanka.
On Tuesday itself, he is also going to meet important people associated with the Indian High Commissioner here. Defense cooperation and maritime partnership between the two countries will be the main issues of this visit. Given the strategic location of India and Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean region, maritime security is an important area of cooperation between the two countries.
A high level delegation from India under the leadership of Rajnath Singh has also reached Sri Lanka. Various issues of mutual interest will be discussed during the talks. Measures to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries will be considered. It is noteworthy that the relations between India and Sri Lanka are not limited only to the strategic and defense sectors, but the historical, cultural and civilizational relations between the two countries are also very deep.
During the visit of the Defense Minister, emphasis is also expected to be on further strengthening these relations. During his visit, Rajnath Singh will meet the Indian expatriate community in Colombo. He will also interact with the people of the Indian community living in Sri Lanka. The three-day visit of the Defense Minister is being seen as an important initiative towards India's Neighbor First policy and stronger maritime and defense partnership in the Indian Ocean region.