Army Chief In Sri Lanka: Gen Dwivedi Engages On Boosting Bilateral Defence Cooperation, Visits Army War College

Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi’s official two-day visit to Sri Lanka has underlined New Delhi’s renewed push to deepen defence cooperation with its key Indian Ocean neighbour, spanning military ties, disaster response, capacity building and people-to-people engagement.

The engagements, held in Colombo and at the Sri Lanka Army War College, come at a time of evolving regional security dynamics and highlight India’s role as Sri Lanka’s most dependable strategic and humanitarian partner. India had recently proved the same during its relief operation – Sagar Bandhu – initiated in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.

Key outcomes of the Army Chief’s Colombo meetings?

General Dwivedi paid a courtesy call on Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), holding detailed discussions focused on strengthening bilateral defence cooperation. The talks reaffirmed the deep historical, cultural and civilizational links between the two countries and reviewed avenues to enhance military-to-military engagement across services.

Sri Lanka also reiterated its commitment to working closely with India to promote regional peace and stability. Army Chief Gen Dwivedi also met Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), Secretary of Defence, with discussions covering joint training, strategic coordination and the broader geostrategic environment in the Indian Ocean Region.

How did disaster relief and HADR cooperation feature in talks?

A key highlight of the discussions was India’s swift assistance to Sri Lanka during Cyclone Ditwah. On behalf of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Sri Lankan people, the Deputy Defence Minister expressed gratitude to India for rapid deployment of disaster relief teams, provision of humanitarian aid, continued support in relief, recovery and rebuilding operations.

General Dwivedi reaffirmed India’s readiness to further strengthen cooperation in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), emphasising joint preparedness and coordination from national to tactical levels.

India–Sri Lanka Ties: Importance of maritime and security cooperation

Sri Lanka commended the strong operational coordination between the two defence forces, particularly in the interception of narcotics and transnational crimes in maritime domains. Both sides agreed to expand collaboration in maritime security, intelligence sharingm joint ops to counter non-traditional security threats in the Indian Ocean Region.

Army Chief visit Sri Lanka Army War College

Furthering India’s neighbourhood first policy, General Dwivedi during his Sri Lanka visit also headed to the Sri Lanka Army War College, where he was received by Major General D.K.R.N. Silva, the Commandant of the institution. He laid the foundation stone of the Indo–Sri Lanka Friendship Sports Complex, being constructed with Indian assistance.

Army Chief General Dwivedi also donated an ambulance to the War College as a gesture of defence cooperation. In addition that, he held informal interaction with student officers, focusing on leadership and modern warfare. Addressing student officers, General Dwivedi stressed the need for professional excellence, agility and adaptability, innovative thinking to deal with rapidly evolving, multi-domain warfare.

He highlighted the importance of preparedness to operate across the full spectrum of conflict, from conventional operations to humanitarian missions.

How does this visit strengthens people-to-people and military ties?

The Army Chief underscored the value of engagement across junior, middle and senior leadership levels, noting that sustained interaction builds trust, transparency and long-term institutional bonds.

Joint training programmes, officer exchanges and knowledge-sharing initiatives were identified as critical pillars of the enduring India–Sri Lanka defence partnership.

Meanwhile, as part of his official programme, General Dwivedi laid a wreath at the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial in Colombo, paying homage to Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during Operation Pawan. The gesture reinforced the shared military history and sacrifices that continue to shape bilateral relations.

General Dwivedi’s engagements reflect India’s broader strategy of strengthening partnerships in the Indian Ocean neighbourhood, supporting regional resilience through HADR, training and capacity building, along with reinforcing Sri Lanka’s role as a critical partner in regional security architecture.