Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia reaffirm commitment to further enhancing defence cooperation

Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia have reaffirmed commitment to further enhancing defence cooperation and strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.

The commitment was made during a bilateral meeting between the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd.), and Prince Abdulrahman bin Ayyaf Al-Muqrin, the Deputy Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the Saudi Defence Ministry. 

The meeting took place during Deputy Minister Jayasekara’s official visit to the World Defense Show (WDS) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

During the meeting, both parties reaffirmed the cordial and friendly bilateral relations and explored opportunities to further strengthen defence cooperation and enhance long standing ties between the two countries. 

The Sri Lankan delegation also sought continued assistance and support from Saudi Arabia, acknowledging the constructive cooperation extended over the years. 

Discussions were also held on expanding military training opportunities, professional exchanges and structured knowledge sharing initiatives between the armed forces of the two nations, the Defence Ministry noted.

Both parties acknowledged the strategic significance of Maritime Domain Awareness and maritime security. Moreover, they highlighted mutual concerns over transnational threats such as drug trafficking and smuggling, and agreed on the necessity of strengthening bilateral coordination and sharing information to effectively combat these challenges. 

Furthermore, the meeting covered emerging defence technologies and evolving operational concepts, including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), intelligence systems and surveillance capabilities. Both parties recognized the importance of keeping pace with modern technological advancements in the defence sector. 

Additionally, the possibility of organizing bilateral defence talks or staff talks and implementing structured capacity building programmes was discussed, with a view to institutionalizing defence cooperation between the two countries. 

Cooperation in disaster relief and humanitarian assistance was another key area of discussion. Both sides highlighted the importance of strengthening coordination in disaster response, particularly through collaboration among the Tri Forces and the identification of operational requirements to enhance preparedness and effectiveness, the Defence Ministry added.