Commander of Sri Lankan Army Lt Gen N U M M W Senanayake today held wide-ranging talks with Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat on ways to deepen cooperation between armed forces of the two countries. The Sri Lankan Army Chief also met Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and discussed issues relating to defence and security cooperation between the two countries. His meetings here came on a day the Sri Lankan government declared a state of emergency for 10 days to rein in the spread of communal violence between majority Sinhala and minority Muslims in the country's Kandy district. A range of issues relating to defence cooperation between the two countries were discussed during the talks between Lt Gen Senanayake and Gen Rawat, a senior Army official said. Lt Gen Senanayake also met Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal SB Deo. The visit by the Sri Lankan commander comes amidst reports that China was trying to expand its influence over Colombo.
It is not immediately known whether the issue figured during the talks today. In December last, Sri Lanka had handed over the control of the southern sea port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease, triggering concern here over Beijing's efforts to expand influence in the region. Last month, Sri Lanka's Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne had said that Hambantota port will not be used as a military base and Sri Lanka will not engage in any activities in its harbours and waters which may harm India's security interests.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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