Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, visits India

Admiral Priyantha Perera, Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, was on a five-day official visit to India from May 23–27, 2023. During the visit, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera presided over the Passing Out Parade of Spring Term 23 at the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala. Adm. Priyantha Perera called on the Chief of the Naval Staff, Adm. R. Hari Kumar, on May 24, 2023, in New Delhi and held discussions on collaborative mechanisms towards ensuring peace and security in the region. He was received with a ceremonial guard of honour at the South Block Lawns. Earlier in the day, he paid homage to the Bravehearts at the National War Memorial. India and Sri Lanka share a close and historically significant relationship, and both countries have engaged closely in reinforcing the existing relations. India and Sri Lanka have substantially enhanced their interactions in the maritime domain in accordance with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ and the maritime outlook of ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’. The Indian Navy cooperates with the Sri Lanka Navy through various initiatives, which include operational interactions such as the bilateral naval exercise SLINEX, hydrography, training, and other maritime avenues. In addition, warships from both navies regularly make port calls at each other’s ports. The current visit by the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy is symbolic of increasing naval cooperation between the two navies and renewed the sense of commitment of two friendly maritime neighbors to enhance security and tackle the maritime challenges in the IOR.