COLOMBO Sri Lanka has obtained a inventory of bomb squad tools by way of a grant from the Chinese navy, the Sri Lankan military has mentioned.
The Chinese Ambassador in Colombo handed over the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) tools to the Secretary to Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence General Kamal Gunaratne (Rtd) in a ceremony held on March 13, in line with a media assertion. The tools shall be used primarily for screening, bomb detection, and disposal, in line with military sources in Colombo. The assertion didn’t point out the price of the tools.
The growth got here a day after the United States Department of Defence commenced a coaching programme for Sri Lanka’s Air Force for enhanced safety of the island’s maritime sources, to counter illicit trafficking and monitor its unique financial zone. It additionally coincided with the Chinese People Liberation Army’s current engagement within the area, together with in Sri Lanka.
On March 7, a senior Chinese navy official was in Colombo for talks with the navy institution. Deputy Chief of the Office for International Military Cooperation (OMIC) of the Central Military Commission (CMC), China, Major General Zhang Baoqun met Gen. Gunaratne (Rtd) to “exchange perspectives on prevalent regional security challenges and explore avenues for joint initiatives on enhancing maritime security collaborations on mutual ground,” a press launch from the Sri Lankan military mentioned.
Beijing on Wednesday confirmed {that a} navy delegation visited the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Nepal from March 4 to 13 to debate additional defence cooperation. During the delegation’s go to to the Maldives, the island nation’s Minister of Defence signed a pact with Major General Zhang Baoqun for navy help from — and stronger bilateral ties with — China.
Beijing’s enhanced navy engagement within the area stays a trigger for concern in New Delhi, at the same time as India and Sri Lanka keep long-standing defence ties, and presently have an annual defence dialogue on the degree of Secretary to the Defence Ministry. The seventh spherical of the dialogue was held in New Delhi on February 23, 2023, the place either side agreed to “increase the complexity of bilateral exercises.” Sri Lanka has a Liaison Officer posted on the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre for Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) positioned in Gurugram.
Sri Lanka can be a part of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC), together with Mauritius and the Maldives, and Bangladesh and Seychelles, which are observer-states. However, the Maldives skipped the 6th NSA-level assembly of the CSC held in Mauritius in December, months after President Mohamed Muizzu was elected.
(With inputs from Dinakar Peri in New Delhi)
Source: www.thehindu.com
