The Indian High Commission has increased its defence representation in Sri Lanka reports the New Indian Express, with a member from the Army heading the Defence Wing.
Col Gurinder S Klaire has been appointed as Deputy Defence Advisor to assist Defence Advisor Capt Prakash Gopalan, the first time a member of the Army has held the post, which has traditionally been taken up by a member of the Navy.
The New Indian Express went on to report that Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj earlier expressed concern that a Chinese government company would be repairing and maintaining aircraft at Trincomalee, in apparent contravention of the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord.
See more from New Indian Express here.
The appointment comes ahead of a Sri Lankan military conference this week, which Indian government representative Subramanian Swamy said he would attend, sparking protests in Tamil Nadu.
India also reaffirmed its commitment to Sri Lanka earlier this week, with High Commissioner of India Y. K. Sinha noting the relationship between the two countries has “evolved and expanded” since the end of the armed conflict.