Taking a new height to the defense and strategic relations between India and Sri Lanka, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has announced the creation of a state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence Lab for the Sri Lankan Army. The Defense Minister, who arrived in Colombo on a three-day official visit, reiterated India's determination to strengthen the capability of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. He made this important statement while addressing the deck reception organized on Indian Naval ship 'INS Udayagiri' in Colombo.
Let us tell you, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh stressed that capacity building has been a strong pillar of bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries. India has always been committed to support the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in line with their priorities and needs. He underlined the importance of maritime security, saying this is an area where both countries look forward to working together more deeply in the future. This visit of 'INS Udayagiri' is a symbol of India's defense diplomacy and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with neighboring countries.
During the visit the Defense Minister had a very useful and positive meeting with the President of Sri Lanka Anura Kumara Dissanayake. After this high-level meeting, three important Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed to promote cooperation in the defense sector between the two countries. These include upgradation of L-70 guns for the Sri Lankan Air Force, mutual cooperation between the National Cadet Corps (NCC) of India and Sri Lanka, and educational and strategic partnership between the National Defense Colleges (NDC) of the two countries.
Additionally, the Indian Naval ship also handed over critical military equipment and spares to Sri Lanka under the Defense Diplomacy Initiative during her visit. This includes spare parts for Indra MK-2 radar for the Sri Lankan Air Force, spare parts for the Sri Lankan Naval Ship 'Sayura' and inflatable targets for naval exercises. This visit of the Defense Minister is further strengthening the traditionally deep and deepening defense relations between India and Sri Lanka.