Lanka, India working closely to enhance naval cooperation

Colombo, Dec 11 (PTI) Sri Lanka and India have been
working closely to enhance their naval cooperation through
measures like training programmes and exchange of high-level
visits.
"The year has witnessed exchange of the high-level visits
between the navies of our two countries," the Indian High
Commission here said in a statement.
Naval chief Admiral Nirmal Verma along with his
counterparts from six other Indian ocean countries attended
Sri Lankan navy's diamond jubilee celebrations this week in
Colombo. Two Indian Naval Ships Mysore and Tarangini also
participated in the celebrations.
INS Mysore, an indigenously-built largest destroyer of
the Indian Navy; and INS Tarangini, a sail training ship, had
recently visited Colombo along with the Indian Naval Ships
Tir, Shardul and Indian Coast Guard Ship Varuna.
They had taken part in training programme organised for
Sri Lankan junior naval officers.
Admiral Verma, had earlier visited Sri Lanka in June
while Sri Lanka Navy Commander Vice Admiral Thisara
Samarasinghe had visited India last October.
Admiral Verma met Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya
Rajapaka during his visit and discussed "the progress made in
the ongoing Navy-to-Navy cooperation between the two countries
since his last visit in June," the Indian High Commission
said.
The naval officers, who visited here along with the
Indian ships, carried out community services for children in
Colombo as part of a routine practice for the Indian navy
personnel in visits abroad.
"The Indian Navy Band also entertained the children of a
school, who had for the first time listened to the Naval
Band," the statement added.
Navy chiefs of Australia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the
United Arab Emirates and Maldives were among those who
participated in the Sri Lankan navy celebrations.
Pakistani navy chief Admiral Noman Bashir and chief of
UAE Naval Staff Brigadier Ibrahim Salim Al-Musharrakh also
called on the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary this week.
Warships from China, Russia and Pakistan were also in
Colombo taking part in the Sri Lankan navy's diamond jubilee
celebrations.
The Sri Lankan Navy was awarded 'Presidential Colours'
for the third time in its 60-year history by President Mahinda
Rajapaksa, who is also the Commander in Chief of the country's
armed forces.
Sri Lanka formed its navy in 1950, two years after its
independence from the British colonial rule. PTI CORR
SMT