Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was warmly received by members of the Indian diaspora on Tuesday upon his arrival at a hotel in Colombo.
Singh had earlier arrived in the Sri Lankan capital to begin a three-day official visit focused on strengthening bilateral maritime and security cooperation between India and Sri Lanka.
During his visit, Singh is scheduled to hold consultations with Sri Lankan leaders on a range of issues of mutual interest aimed at further consolidating bilateral relations, with a particular focus on maritime and defence cooperation.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Singh is leading a high-level delegation and will hold talks with the Sri Lankan leadership on several areas of mutual interest.
“Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh today left for Sri Lanka on a 3-day visit to the island nation. Leading a high-level delegation, Raksha Mantri will hold talks with the leadership of Sri Lanka on a range of issues to further strengthen traditionally strong and friendly bilateral relations in mutually beneficial areas, including a strong maritime and defence partnership. He will also interact with the Indian diaspora in Colombo during the visit,” the Ministry of Defence said in a post on X.
Expressing optimism about the engagements ahead, Singh said he was looking forward to a “productive engagement” with the Sri Lankan leadership during his visit. He described Sri Lanka as one of India’s most important partners under the Neighbourhood First policy and the MAHASAGAR framework.
In a post on X, Singh said, “Leaving New Delhi for Sri Lanka on a three-day official visit. Looking forward to a productive engagement with the leadership of Sri Lanka during the visit. I shall also be interacting with the vibrant Indian diaspora in Sri Lanka. Besides our longstanding partnership as well as deep historical and civilisational ties, Sri Lanka is one of our most important partners under the Neighbourhood First and MAHASAGAR initiatives.”
The Ministry said India and Sri Lanka share deep civilisational ties and a multifaceted partnership encompassing regional security, defence, economic and trade cooperation, as well as strong people-to-people relations.
“The bilateral relationship received further impetus when India assisted Sri Lanka during the economic crisis and provided assistance, as one of the first responders, in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka in 2025. It underscored India’s continued commitment and emphasis on the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions),” the ministry added.
India had earlier announced a financial assistance package of USD 450 million for Sri Lanka to support post-cyclone reconstruction following Cyclone Ditwah. The assistance focuses on rebuilding transport infrastructure, restoring housing, strengthening educational and healthcare facilities, reviving agriculture and enhancing disaster management capabilities.
The latest visit comes amid intensified defence and maritime engagement between the two countries. Earlier in August, Sri Lankan Navy Commander Vice Admiral Damian Fernando visited India and held discussions with Chief of Defence Staff General N.S. Raja Subramani on strengthening bilateral military cooperation and joint preparedness.
Speaking to ANI about Singh’s visit, Jha said, “If you look at the last 2-3 years, the engagement between India and Sri Lanka has acquired a new intensity. There is a regular exchange of ministerial-level visits from India to Sri Lanka and from Sri Lanka to India. We need to see this as part of that.”
Emphasising the importance of security and defence in the bilateral relationship, Jha said the Defence Minister’s visit would provide an opportunity to take forward ongoing initiatives and review progress in defence cooperation.
“As you know, we have several different aspects of our partnership. Security and defence are very significant aspects of that. The visit of the Defence Minister is in the context that we will be taking forward some of the ongoing initiatives. We’ll exchange notes on how far we have come so far on various defence cooperation issues,” Jha said.
Jha also said Singh’s visit should be viewed in the broader context of high-level political exchanges between India and Sri Lanka, given his seniority and long-standing political experience.
“I must also request that people see it in the larger context. He’s a very senior leader from India, a person who has been at the helm for many years, and so we are looking at this as part of the larger political-level exchanges between India and Sri Lanka,” Jha added.
(With ANI inputs)
