India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Shri Gopal Baglay met senior officers of the country’s navy and air-force and a technical team from the Indian navy when he visited Trincomalee in the weekend.
The technical team from the Indian navy is supporting the Sri Lanka armed forces with operations of the Dornier aircraft which India gifted to Sri Lanka on 15 August 2022 to strengthen the maritime security of Sri Lanka and contribute to overall security of the region.
During the visit to Trincomalee he visited the Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC) facility where he was briefed about plans to expand and diversify its business, and the joint development of the Upper Tank Farms by LIOC and Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. The High Commissioner also visited the newly inaugurated Lube blending plant, the first such grease plant at the facility in Sri Lanka.
The High Commissioner combined the visit with one to Batticaloa to attend the convocation of the Eastern University at which he was the chief guest. He told the gathering that India will support a special financial assistance scheme to 100 university students from economically backward families. He visited the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital to review progress of the construction of the surgical unit. The work, which is being done with a grant from India, is nearing completion.
In both Trincomalee and Batticaloa the High Commissioner donated rations to 400 low-income families.
The Indian High Commission in Colombo in a press release said these multiple engagements underscore the multidimensional nature of India-Sri Lanka partnership and India’s deep and enduring cultural and socio-economic ties with Eastern Sri Lanka.
The High Commissioner wrapped up his tour to Batticaloa with visits to the Ramakrishna Mission, Meththai Grand Jumma Mosque and the Badriyyah Jum’ah Masjith. He paid a floral tribute at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi for his 153rd birth anniversary on the 2nd of October. The statute of the Mahatma was built in 1967.
