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India to assist Sri Lanka strengthen its maritime security infrastructure

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 12/1/2020 12:32:37 PM

Colombo, Nov 30 India will assist its southern neighbour Sri Lanka to strengthen its maritime security infrastructure that would help counter terrorism and drug trafficking besides safeguarding the rule of law in the region. Delhi and Colombo have decided on a collaborated mechanism to enhance maritime security cooperation, intelligence sharing, capacity building within the region, avenues to curb drug smuggling and means of responding to natural calamities during the session. This was decided during NSA Ajit Doval’s visit to Colombo as he met the ‘whose who’ of Lankan decision- making process, including President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, ET has reliably gathered. Security in the Indian Ocean Region, new Indian investments in Lanka and expediting infrastructure projects were part of the agenda when Doval met the Lankan President, sources told ET. NSA informed Rajapaksa of India’s desire to invest in new sectors that help Sri Lanka consolidate economic development. An understanding was reached at the meeting to expedite the completion of India-funded development projects, sources indicated. India is working on a plan to offer $50 million Line of Credit (LoC) to Sri Lanka for the defence sector, ET had earlier reported. Delhi has plans to offer defence hardware to Lanka under LoC besides expanding the training program for the military of the island nation. While India would prefer to supply additional equipment to the Lankan Navy there are plans to supply hardware and equipment to the other branches of the country’s military based on their needs. At the Lanka-India-Maldives trilateral participated by Doval, the three countries recognised the significance of the forum for promoting meaningful cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region on common issues pertaining to maritime security. The top security officials discussed mutual cooperation in the areas of maritime domain awareness.