COLOMBO (News 1st); The Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army, General Manoj Mukund Naravane said as matured democracies the quality interaction in the elected leaders in both countries is mirrored by similar interactions by both militaries.
“We have had a number of visits by senior Sri Lankan military delegations and have engaged in Army-to-Army staff talks on a number of occasions,” he told reporters following a meeting with Sri Lanka’s Army Commander General Shavendra Silva.
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During the cordial meeting, both General Manoj Mukund Naravane and General Shavendra Silva recalled the historic relations that have nurtured between two nations for generations and memories during the 1987 deployment of IPKF in Sri Lanka, in which General Mukund Naravane served as one of the ground commanders at that time to fight against LTTE terrorism.
He also refreshed his past memories during the IPKF service commitments in LTTE violence-affected areas in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaittivu, and the Wanni.
Both military chiefs during the cordial meet at the Commander’s office shared views on current issues and stressed the need to resolve them in an amicable manner with the exchange of vital information, intelligence, etc.
General Manoj Mukund Naravane highlighted the importance of modernizing both military organizations to suit international standards to be geared to meet with different types of emerging threats, including cyberattacks, etc.
General Shavendra Silva also thanked the Indian Army for continued assistance and participation in the conduct of bilateral Field Training Exercises and training modules, being awarded to the Sri Lanka Army for career progression.
Talks also focused on the ongoing ‘Mithra Shakti’ training Exercise where both armies are engaged. The visiting Indian Army Chief also assured support for continuity of training programmes and both of them mutually agreed to broaden those horizons in the near future.
While expressing willingness to further foster friendly defence ties with Sri Lanka, General Manoj Mukund Naravane also offered his Army’s technical assistance for upgrading of military requirements in the Sri Lanka Army.
The friendly meeting at the Commander’s office, attended by the members of the Indian delegation culminated with the exchange of symbolic mementos between both Army Chiefs.
The visiting General Manoj Mukund Naravane added memories and cordial compliments to the VIP book at the Commander’s office.
Minutes after his exit from the Commander’s Office, the visiting Indian Army Chief and his counterpart, General Shavendra Silva made a joint statement to the Media before the Indian Army Chief proceeded to the Ministry of Defence.
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