Defence ties to expand further: Indian Defence Secretary meets President
The longstanding good defence relationship between India and Sri Lanka should be further expanded and strengthened, Indian Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar said when he called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday.
The defence dialogue on promoting bilateral relations between the two countries should be further extended to include infantry and air force, the Indian Defence Secretary said.
It was agreed that the two countries will have a joint naval exercise in Sri Lankan waters next year. The Indian Defence Secretary informed President Rajapaksa that India will offer more training opportunities for the Sri Lankan Security Forces personnel in the future.
An Indian Air Force demonstration will be held in line with the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Sri Lanka Air Force next year, he said.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa acknowledged the continuing good relations between Sri Lanka and India and welcomed the initiatives to strengthen defence cooperation in between the two countries.
The Indian Defence Secretary emphasized the importance of increasing not only defence relations but also relations in all other spheres between the two countries. He said he held comprehensive discussions with both Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa in this regard. Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Ashok K Kanta, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, External Affairs Ministry Secretary Romesh Jayasinghe and a number of Indian Security Forces representatives were present.
Courtesy: Daily News
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Demala Chelvan correctly said in his comments that this guy bears a strong resemblance to the former LTT Media Chief, the late Mr Nadesan.
Cannot understand the Government’s philosophy in tolerating this guy. He appears to be a RAW agent. Maybe has links to the LTT too. He is the only Indian VIP who paid homage at the monument to the marauding Indian forces under the guise of IPKF. Sri Lankans are thankful to the LTT for supporting the war against the marauding Indian forces unleashed as the IPKF by late Mr Rajiva Gandhi.
The whole nation breathed a sigh of relief when the marauding Indian forces were defeated by our patriotic forces supported by the LTT. The Late Ranasinghe P should be garlanded and honoured forever for leading this patriotic act.
We should be weary of welcoming people like Mr Kumara who apparently had no outward purpose for his visit. Nothing was received from this visit and nothing gained.
We should carefully monitor the activities of the Indian Embassy in coming months. The only reason I can think of for Mr Kumara’s visit is the strengthening of RAW agents and activities in the Country.
Thank god, Mr Kumara has departed.
ADL in his comments assumes Ind Def Sec PK as a RAW agent who has come chiefly to strengthen RAW activities in SL. Perhaps so. But it is wrong to speculate without evidence. PK was on a visit to stengthen Def Co-operation between the two countries and offer defence training, now that USA and UK have withdrawn such facilities for SL.
Rajiv Gandhi did not invade SL. He sent IPKF to help bring about a truce between the two warring factions of SL Defence Forces and the LTTE, since it affected Tamil Nadu by Tamil refugees fleeing to TN. When RG offered help of IPKF, JR accepted it, same as he would have accepted a UN peace keeping force, had it been offered.
LTTE fought IPKF as VP did not agree for a truce without his demand for eelam being met. RP helped LTTE to fight off IPKF, with arms and financial aid. It was a treacherous act by RP, typical of UNP. He paid the price by LTTE assassinating him in the end. RG also paid the price by LTTE assassinating him.
The grudge I have with India is that LTTE was trained in India, financed and armed by Indira Gandhi and released to disrupt SL economic progress and divert the cry for Tamil nationalism in Tamil Nadu. For this evil deed she ultimately paid the price of the loss of her son through the LTTE.
The Indian Congress Party is good at assasinating its leaders prior to an election to win sympathy votes.
Why did not a single Congress part leader accompany RG on his last walk?
The fact is psychopath, fascist Tamil terrorist leader VP assassinated RG using a suicide bomber. DC need to lay blame on VP and not on RG or Congress party.
DC’s thinking is typical of diaspora LTTE’s twisted thinking. LTTE assassinated politicians and blame the victim for taking the risk for getting assassinated to win sympathy. It is the assassin who is at fault and the organisation behind the assassin. DC has been brainwashed with this kind of twisted wrong reasoning. You only deceive yourself. You need a head transplant.