In an effort to further strengthen defence ties between the two countries, the High Commission of India in Colombo organised the first India-Sri Lanka Defence Seminar and Exhibition on Wednesday.
The exhibition aimed to promote and identify newer areas of cooperation and collaboration between the two countries in the defence sector.
The exhibition was inaugurated by State Minister of Defence of Sri Lanka Premitha Bandara Tennakoon. A large number of industries from both the countries participated in the exhibition and showcased their products.
Addressing the gathering through a video message, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane described Sri Lanka as India’s priority partner, stating that as part of its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, New Delhi stands committed to ensuring capacity and capability building of the Armed Forces of the neighboring country.
He termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) as the underlying theme of India’s maritime policy.
This vision is rooted in advancing cooperation within the region through inclusivity and using India’s capability to benefit its friendly countries in the common maritime neighbourhood.
Aramane highlighted the common security challenges faced in the Indian Ocean Region such as terrorism, piracy, drugs and arms trafficking and illegal migration.
He called for enhanced and active collaboration to deal with these challenges with the aim to create a safer environment.
The Defence Secretary emphasised that the Indian defence sector stands at the cusp of a major revolution and the focus is to establish a robust research and development and indigenous manufacturing ecosystem, while fostering innovation and entrepreneurship under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.