Army chief to visit Sri Lanka, reinforce India's Neighbourhood First policy

General Upendra Dwivedi, the Chief of Army Staff, is expected to visit Sri Lanka early next month to strengthen defence cooperation with the island nation, which India considers crucial to its Neighbourhood First policy.

Dwivedi’s visit will complement high-level military engagements between the two nations in the past few years, increasing mutual trust, strategic alignment and growing operational synergy, said a press statement by the Ministry of Defence.

Previous visits

The visit will follow Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi’s trip to Colombo in September and mark a year of continuous bilateral military diplomacy

Lieutenant General B K G M Lasantha Rodrigo, the commander of the Sri Lanka Army, visited India in June to strengthen defence ties and strategic cooperation. He returned to the Indian Military Academy, his alma mater, as reviewing officer for the passing out parade of cadets.

In 2021, then-Indian Army Chief General M M Naravane visited Sri Lanka for wide-ranging discussions with the Sri Lankan leadership. He witnessed Mitra Shakti, a bilateral joint military exercise marking a symbol of army-to-army collaboration.

In 2023, Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, who was then commander of the Sri Lanka Army, visited India to “reaffirm” his country’s intent to maintain close defence and institutional ties.

Sri Lanka focus

General Dwivedi’s visit is expected to significantly enhance army-to-army cooperation between the two nations, including training exchanges, capacity building and joint exercises such as Exercise Mitra Shakti, said the statement.

It offers both nations to engage in dialogue on growing security concerns in the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean region, covering emerging regional threats, maritime domain awareness, and counter-terrorism cooperation.

General Dwivedi is also expected to pay homage at shared military memorials, reinforcing the historical and cultural bonds between the two nations.

The visit also reflects a broader diplomatic confluence as Sri Lanka has backed India’s bid for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council, while India supports Sri Lanka’s aspirations for a greater role in BRICS and other multilateral forums.

The Army Chief's visit marks a strategic reaffirmation of India’s role as a trusted neighbour to Sri Lanka, with whom it shares maritime interests, the statement added.