Defence Minister Rajnath Singh departs for Sri Lanka, says looking forward to 'productive engagement'

New Delhi, Sep 8 (AHN) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday departed for Sri Lanka for a three-day visit to the island nation, focussed at strengthen bilateral maritime and defence cooperation.

During his visit, Singh will hold talks with Sri Lankan leadership on various issues to further strengthen bilateral ties in mutually beneficial areas, including a strong maritime and defence partnership. He will lead a high-level delegation comprising senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of External Affairs.

"Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh today left for Sri Lanka on a 3-day visit to the island nation. Leading a high-level delegation, Raksha Mantri will hold talks with the leadership of Sri Lanka on a range of issues to further strengthen traditionally strong and friendly bilateral relations in mutually beneficial areas, including a strong maritime and defence partnership. He will also interact with the Indian diaspora in Colombo during the visit," the Ministry of Defence posted on X.

Rajnath Singh said that he looked forward to a "productive engagement" with Sri Lankan leadership during his visit to the island nation. He described Sri Lanka as one of the important partners of India under the Neighbourhood First and MAHASAGAR vision.

In a post on X, Singh wrote, "Leaving New Delhi for Sri Lanka on a three-day official visit. Looking forward to a productive engagement with the leadership of Sri Lanka during the visit. I shall also be interacting with the vibrant Indian diaspora in Sri Lanka. Besides our longstanding partnership as well as deep historical and civilisational ties, Sri Lanka is one of our most important partners under the Neighbourhood First and MAHASAGAR initiatives."

According to the statement released by the Ministry of Defence, India and Sri Lanka share deep civilisational ties and a multifaceted partnership, anchored by regional security, defence, economic and trade cooperation and strong people-to-people ties.

"The bilateral relationship received further impetus when India assisted Sri Lanka during the economic crisis and provided assistance, as one of the first responders, in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka in 2025. It underscored India’s continued commitment and emphasis on the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions)," the statement said.

Late last year, India had announced a reconstruction package of USD 450 million to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. It covered rehabilitation and restoration of road, railway and bridge connectivity; construction of destroyed and damaged houses; health and education sectors; agriculture; and better disaster response and preparedness.

In August this year, Sri Lankan Navy Commander Vice-Admiral Damian Fernando was on an official visit to India. During the visit, he met Chief of Defence Staff General N.S. Raja Subramani and reviewed bilateral defence cooperation.

"CDS General N.S. Raja Subramani interacted with Vice-Admiral Damian Fernando, Sri Lanka Navy Commander, during his official visit to India. ​The leaders reviewed existing bilateral defence cooperation, explored new avenues for joint military training and capacity enhancement, and discussed key regional security matters to further deepen the India–Sri Lanka strategic partnership," the Headquarters of Integrated Defence Staff posted on X.

Vice-Admiral Fernando also called on Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, with the discussions focusing on the progress of various initiatives under the Bilateral Defence Cooperation Plan between the two countries.

Fernando also met Indian Navy chief, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, during which the two sides discussed ways to strengthen maritime security cooperation between the two countries.

During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to uphold peace and stability in the Indian Ocean (IOR) region, aligned with India's MAHASAGAR vision, according to the Indian Navy.