Sri Lankan Navy chief’s assurance to India

“We assure the Indian government that nothing against India will happen in Sri Lankan land and waters around it,” Sri Lankan Navy chief Vice Admiral R C Wijegunaratne said when asked about the docking of Chinese submarines there. 

The Sri Lankan Navy chief is on an official visit to India from January 29 to February 2. The visit is aimed at consolidating bilateral naval relations between India and Sri Lanka as well as explore new avenues for naval cooperation. Speaking to the media here, he asserted that Chinese presence in Sri Lanka was purely for economic reasons. 

“We have also invited Indian firms,” he said. Wijegunaratne said security at the Colombo Port City (renamed Financial City) would be entrusted to the Sri Lankan Navy and not the Chinese as is being speculated. He also hoped that training of Lankan defence personnel at the Defence Service Staff College at Wellington in Tamil Nadu will resume. 

The Sri Lankan Navy chief held bilateral discussions with Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and other senior officials. An interaction with the Minister of State for Defence and Defence Secretary has also been scheduled as part of the Sri Lankan Navy chief’s official meetings in New Delhi.  The Vice Admiral is also scheduled to proceed to Goa and Kochi. 

In addition to New Delhi, the Admiral is also scheduled to proceed to Goa where he will be visiting Naval War College and Goa Shipyard Limited besides interacting with Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area. Two Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels (AOPVs) are being constructed for the Sri Lankan Navy at M/s Goa Shipyard Limited. 

The Admiral would further visit the Training Command of the Indian Navy based at Kochi, where he would be briefed on training aspects and would also visit various training facilities/ professional schools. During his visit to Kochi, the Admiral would also interact with Sri Lankan Naval personnel undergoing training in India. 

The Sri Lankan Navy Commander’s visit follows closely on the visit of the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba’s visit to Sri Lanka wherein he participated in the 7th International Maritime Conference, Galle Dialogue 2016. Naval cooperation between India and Sri Lanka has been traditionally strong, encompassing a wide span which includes operational interactions through bilateral exercises, Training, Port Calls, Hydrographic co-operation, Special Forces interactions, Capability Building and Capacity Augmentation initiatives.