Sri Lanka Defence Secretary attends Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defence Conference in Canada

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) represented the country at the 28th Annual Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) Conference held in Victoria, Canada, from August 31 to September 2, 2026.

The three-day conference brought together defence and military heads from around 30 countries to discuss regional and international security issues and exchange views on challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region.

During the conference, Defence Secretary Thuyacontha took part in multilateral discussions on regional and international security concerns and presented Sri Lanka’s views on changing security conditions, emerging challenges and the importance of cooperation among Indo-Pacific partners.

The conference was co-hosted by Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff General Jennie Carignan and Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Samuel J. Paparo.

This year’s conference was held under the theme, “Strengthening Collective Security: Navigating Challenges in a Dynamic Indo-Pacific Landscape.”

On the sidelines of the conference, Defence Secretary Thuyacontha also held a series of bilateral meetings with senior defence officials and heads of defence from several participating countries.

The discussions covered matters of mutual interest and possible ways to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, including military training, capacity building, maritime security, cybersecurity, disaster preparedness and professional military exchanges.