Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, met with Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, in Islamabad this week on the sidelines of the 5th Sri Lanka-Pakistan Bilateral Defence Dialogue, the Sri Lankan government announced.
The meeting took place on Tuesday 29 April, the second day of the three-day dialogue, which aims to enhance defence cooperation between the two South Asian nations. According to a statement issued by Sri Lanka’s Department of Information, “these high-level engagements aim to enhance bilateral cooperation, foster mutual understanding on regional security dynamics and explore opportunities for defence collaboration.”
“Both nations share a longstanding relationship rooted in mutual respect and strategic cooperation," the statement continued. "The dialogue reflects the growing importance of partnerships in maintaining stability and promoting peace in the South Asian region.”
The Sri Lankan delegation was led by Thuyacontha, accompanied by Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, Commander of the Navy, and Jayantha Edirisinghe, Additional Secretary (Defence) at the Ministry of Defence. The Pakistani delegation was headed by Lieutenant General Muhammad Ali (Retd), Secretary of Defence of Pakistan.
The dialogue takes place amid heightened regional tensions, after Pakistan’s Defence Minister warned on Monday that a military incursion by neighbouring India was “imminent” following a deadly militant attack on tourists in Kashmir last week. Relations between the two nuclear-armed states remain volatile.
The 5th Bilateral Defence Dialogue, scheduled to conclude on 30 April, is expected to reinforce the existing defence ties between Sri Lanka and Pakistan and contribute to broader regional security objectives.
