Army Chief General Manoj Pande.(Image: PTI/File)
Sri Lankan Army Lt Gen Liyange was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour on the South Block lawns earlier than he referred to as on Gen Pande
Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande on Monday held wide-ranging talks with Commander of the Sri Lankan Army Lt Gen Vikum Liyange with a concentrate on ramping up bilateral navy engagement in opposition to the backdrop of China’s rising navy assertiveness within the area. The Sri Lankan navy official is on a go to to India from December 3 to 7.
The defence ministry mentioned Lt Gen Liyange’s go to to India is a ”testimony” to the longstanding relationship between the armies of India and Sri Lanka. Liyange was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour on the South Block lawns earlier than he referred to as on Gen Pande.
”They exchanged concepts and held constructive discussions on varied modern points, together with strengthening bilateral cooperation between the 2 armies,” the ministry mentioned. Thereafter, Lt Gen Liyange interacted with Defence Secretary Giridhar Armane, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff.
The Sri Lankan Army Commander can also be scheduled to name on Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan. ”These conferences and bilateral discussions underscore the shared targets of additional enhancing defence cooperation between the 2 nations,” the defence ministry mentioned in a press release.
”The go to marks a momentous milestone in strengthening the diplomatic and navy ties between two pleasant neighbours. It reinforces the enduring camaraderie that has flourished over time, selling cooperation and mutual understanding within the realms of defence and safety,” it mentioned.