Lanka defence minister visits Defexpo

Defexpo 2010 had a surprise visitor, Sri Lanka’s defence secretary (minister), Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. Also the brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, he told Business Standard he was in India on a five-day visit and would go to Bodh Gaya, but had decided to drop in at Defexpo to see the biggest military equipment show in South Asia.

Sri Lanka had recently declared military victory over Tamil insurgent rebels in the northern and eastern provinces of the country, aided by arms sales by several western nations but not India.

For instance, between 2006 and 2008, the British government sold Lanka weapons of all kinds worth £13 million. Slovakia provided rockets worth £1.1 million, while Bulgaria approved sales of guns and ammunition worth £1.75 million. Lanka sought arms from India that New Delhi refused to provide. A Defence Agreement between the two countries that was on the verge of being signed was also put on the back burner in 2004, when the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam of Tamil Nadu, a partner of the United Progressive Alliance, protested.