India on Monday handed over a Dornier plane to Sri Lanka within the presence of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, reaffirming its safety ties with the island nation.
“The safety of India and Sri Lanka is enhanced by mutual understanding, mutual belief and cooperation. The gifting of Dornier 228 is India’s newest contribution to this trigger,” Excessive Commissioner Gopal Baglay mentioned on the handing over occasion held on Indian Independence Day and a day earlier than the arrival of a Chinese language house and satellite tv for pc monitoring vessel that India has voiced concern over. Regardless of New Delhi conveying its apprehensions at excessive ranges, together with to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Colombo has cleared the go to of the Chinese language vessel, after requesting its arrival be deferred by 5 days.
The gifting of the Dornier plane to the Sri Lanka Air Pressure “is of relevance to and a step to satisfy its necessities for maritime security and safety,” the Indian Excessive Fee mentioned in a tweet, including: “It’s an instance of India’s energy including to the energy of its associates and neighbours, together with these within the Indian Ocean Area and the Bay of Bengal, similar to Sri Lanka”.
Final week, the Sri Lanka Air Pressure introduced that the Indian Air Pressure was gifting it a Dornier 228 Maritime Patrol Plane, whereas noting one other plane could be donated inside two years. The Indian reward was in response to a request from the Sri Lankan authorities in 2018 for 2 Dornier Reconnaissance Plane to boost the maritime surveillance capabilities of the island nation, the SLAF mentioned.
Sri Lanka is a member of the “Colombo Safety Conclave”, which started as a trilateral initiative involving India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, and later included Mauritius, for maritime cooperation within the area. “Our nationwide safety is deeply intertwined with our collective safety aspirations on this area,” Nationwide Safety Adviser Ajit Ok. Doval mentioned in March this 12 months, addressing the fifth NSA-level talks of the Conclave held within the Maldives.
Sri Lanka maintains shut defence ties with its regional companions, together with India and Pakistan. The Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) ‘Taimur’, which arrived on the Colombo port on an official go to on August 12, set sail from the island after a “profitable conduct of a passage train” with Sri Lanka Navy Ship (SLNS) ‘Sindurala’, the Sri Lankan Navy mentioned on Monday.
The creator is The Hindu correspondent in Colombo
Printed on
August 15, 2022
