Pak Navy chief to arrive in Sri Lanka tomorrow

hief of Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Asif Sandila will hold discussions on bilateral cooperation with his Sri Lankan counterpart

Close on the heels of a visit by the Indian Navy chief Admiral D K Joshi, Pakistan's Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Asif Sandila will arrive in Sri Lanka tomorrow.

During his four-day visit, Sandila will hold discussions on bilateral cooperation with his counterpart Vice Admiral Jayanath Colombage, the Pakistani High Commission here said.

He will also hold talks with Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and pay courtesy calls on the Chief of Defence Staff and commanders of army and air force.

The naval relationship between the two countries has diversified significantly since the termination of the war against Tamil rebels in Sri Lanka in 2009.

In the last two years, Pakistan has started sending its young naval officers to Sri Lanka for training in asymmetric warfare. Sri Lankan Navy has also dispatched, for the first time, a warship to participate in Aman 13 exercise conducted by the Pakistan Navy.

The Indian Navy chief visited Sri Lanka in late November. He was a participant at the international maritime conference held in the southern port town of Galle.