Army Chief to embark on 4-day visit to Lanka

New Delhi, Nov 29: Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh is all set to undertake a four-day goodwill visit to Sri Lanka, starting November 30.

Indian Army said on Sunday that General Dalbir's visit assumes special significance in the light of the increasing defence cooperation between the two countries.

Indian Army claimed that in recent years, Indo-Sri Lanka military relationship has been marked by high level bilateral exchanges.

Last month, both the armies of countries had taken part in a joint training exercise codenamed Mitra Shakti in Pune.

The 14-day joint training saw lessons in understanding of transnational terrorism, interoperability and tactical operations being imparted to the soldiers. The exercise also demonstrated the determination of the two armies in combating terrorism.

Army says General Dalbir is expected to interact with senior officials of defence forces and Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka.

"A wide range of issues to enhance military cooperation will be discussed. The Chief will also visit training establishments and Formation Headquarters. The visit will enhance the longstanding ties and cooperation in other areas of mutual interest between India and Sri Lanka, including regional security," says an official.

For India, Sri Lanka is a key partner in the Indian Ocean Region. However, the country has often been caught on the wrong foot for its aggressive stand against Indian fishermen, especially from Tamil Nadu.

Reports of Indian fishermen being targeted by the Lankan Navy has often met with huge outcry by various political parties in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had recently written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to stop the oft-repeated arrests of Indian fishermen by the Lankan Navy.

Even as this report goes live, the Srilankan Coast Guard detained eight Indian fishermen near Palk Strait in the early hours of Sunday, Nov 29.

The fishermen are reported to be hailing from Rameswaram and their two mechanised boats also have been seized.

OneIndia News