The 7th Annual Defense Dialogue (ADD) between India and Sri Lanka was held in New Delhi from February 23–25, 2023. The Defense Secretary, Gen (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne, and Air Marshal SK Pathirana, Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, along with a delegation comprising senior officers from the Sri Lanka Army and Navy, attended the event. Various ongoing defence cooperation initiatives were jointly reviewed, and new avenues for engagement were identified during the ADD.
The Defense Secretary, Gen (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne, delivered a talk at the prestigious National Defense College (NDC), New Delhi. It may be recalled that both the Defense Secretary and Air Marshal SK Pathirana are alumni of the NDC. The visiting delegation from Sri Lanka visited the sacred Tirupati Temple on February 24, 2023. They also called on Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command of the Indian Navy, at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai.
ADD is the yearly apex level of defence engagement between the two countries to discuss the regional security situation, common security challenges, and avenues for closer defence cooperation towards ensuring “Security and Growth for All in the Region” (SAGAR).
