Sri Lankan air chief accorded guard of honour in New Delhi

Reuters:  Chief of Defence Staff of Sri Lanka, Air Chief Marshal Kolitha Aravinda Gunatilleke, arrived in India on Monday (April 04) on a four-day visit to deepen bilateral ties and focus on security and defence issues.

Gunatilleke was accorded guard of honour at the secretariat building in New Delhi.

He then paid his tributes to fallen soldiers at India Gate, a war memorial, which houses the ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’, an immortal fire in memory of the fallen. The Air Chief is scheduled to meet India’s Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and chiefs of India’s tri-services.

Gunatilleke will also be visiting the Western Naval Command in Mumbai city on April 05. The South Asian neighbours work to build closer cooperation in maritime domain in the Indian Ocean region. Last year, India sealed a nuclear energy agreement with Sri Lanka. Under the deal, India will help them build nuclear energy infrastructure, including training of personnel.

India could also sell light small-scale nuclear reactors to Sri Lanka which wants to establish 600 MW of nuclear capacity by 2030.

Sri Lankan Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Kolitha Gunathilake (L) walks with an Indian Army officer after inspecting a guard of honour in New Delhi 4 April. He is on an official visit to India - AFP

Sri Lankan Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Kolitha Gunathilake (L) who is on an official visit to India, shakes hands with Indian Chief of Air Staff Arup Raha as they pose for a photograph before inspecting a guard of honour in New Delhi on 4 April. - AFP