Indian warship in Colombo ahead of Defence Minister visit to Sri Lanka on Saturday (2)

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Indian Naval Ship (INS) ‘Delhi’ arrived at the port of Colombo on a formal visit this morning (01st September 2023). The visiting ship was welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in compliance with naval tradition.

INS ‘Delhi’ is a 163.2m long Destroyer manned by a crew of 450 and the ship is commanded by Captain Abhishek Kumar.

The Commanding Officer of the ship called on Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Suresh De Silva at the Western Naval Command Headquarters this morning.

During the ship’s stay, the crew will take part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, with a view to promoting cooperation and goodwill between two navies. They are also expected to visit some of the tourist attractions in the country.

In addition, INS ‘Delhi’ has made arrangements to open the ship for the visit of school children. Further, training exchanges are scheduled to be held aboard, involving naval personnel from both navies. 

The ship is expected to depart the island on 03rd September and she will conduct a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with a ship of Sri Lanka Navy, off Colombo. 

At the same time, the Defence Minister of India, Shri Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka on 02-03 September 2023 to review bilateral defence ties.

During the visit, Shri Rajnath Singh will hold talks with President and Defence Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. 

The entire gamut of India’s defence ties with Sri Lanka will be reviewed during these meetings. The Defence Minister will also visit Nuwara Eliya and Trincomalee.

​This visit of Shri Rajnath Singh reiterates India's continued commitment in furthering the existing warm and friendly relations with Sri Lanka. The visit is an important landmark in deepening the enduring bonds of friendship between the two countries in the defence sphere.