Rajnath Singh arrives in Sri Lanka, set to hold talks on defence and maritime cooperation

Colombo, Sep 8 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday for a three-day official visit to the island nation, aimed at deepening bilateral defence and maritime cooperation.

He was warmly welcomed at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo by Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha.

“Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath arrived in Colombo on an official visit to Sri Lanka from 08–10 September 2026. He was received at Bandaranaike International Airport by Deputy Minister of Defence Maj Gen Aruna Jayasekara (Retd.) and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Shri Santosh Jha. Raksha Mantri received a warm and traditional welcome from the Sri Lankan side, reflecting the close and enduring ties between India and Sri Lanka,” the Ministry of Defence posted on X.

During his visit, Singh will hold talks with the 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 wrote on X.

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.

"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," Singh posted on X before leaving for Colombo.

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.

-- IANS

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