Rajnath Singh to visit Sri Lanka on September 9-10 to review defence cooperation
Maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region is expected to figure prominently during the visit
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will journey to Sri Lanka on September 9-10 to meet with key officials and discuss bolstering bilateral defence cooperation. The Indian Ocean Region's maritime security is expected to be a focal point of the discussions during the visit. Rajnath Singh's itinerary includes meetings with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, and Air Vice Marshal (Retd.)
Sampath Thuyacontha, the Secretary of the Ministry of Defence. The agenda will entail reviewing the implementation of the India-Sri Lanka Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding, signed in April 2025 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Colombo. The five-year MoU, the first of its kind between the two nations, lays out a framework for joint military exercises, capacity building, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief cooperation, increased naval port calls, and defence industry collaboration.
The agreement, valid for five years and potentially extendable for another three years with mutual consent, was among seven bilateral documents exchanged during Prime Minister Modi's April 2025 visit to Sri Lanka. This upcoming visit by Rajnath Singh holds particular significance, given India's focus on maritime security and strengthening defence partnerships with nations in the Indian Ocean.
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