Colombo
Indian Naval Ship ‘Khanjar’, an indigenously built Khukri class missile corvette, arrived at Sri Lanka’s eastern port of Trincomalee on Saturday for a three-day visit to enhance close ties and interoperability between the two navies. The Indian High Commission in Colombo said in a statement on Friday that the visit is significant given the potential for cooperation between India and Sri Lanka to enhance the capabilities of the Sri Lankan Navy to efficiently deal with common challenges to maritime security in the region.
Indian Navy Ship ‘Khanjar’ has reached the Eastern Port of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka Navy said. India’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that the ship was accorded a traditional welcome by the Sri Lankan Navy upon its arrival. During the ship’s visit, both the navies will engage in various activities, including planning discussions, professional exchanges on topics of mutual interest, sports events and a visit to the scutcheon by trainees from the Naval and Maritime Academy, Sri Lanka, it said. The port call aims to further enhance the close ties and interoperability between the Indian Navy and the Sri Lanka Navy.
INS Khanjar is the fourth ship of the indigenously designed and built Khukri class missile corvettes. Built by GRSE, Kolkata, the ship is equipped with modern weapons and sensors. The ship’s Commanding Officer NVS Phani Kumar will call on the Commander, Eastern Naval Area, while various professional interactions on VBSS, Gunnery and Missile operations will take place. “In order to create a people-to-people connect and familiarize them with the Indian Navy and its capabilities, the ship will be open for visits by school children,” the Indian High Commission statement said. The public can tour the ship at Trincomalee Port on 30 July. The ship will also conduct a yoga session, beach clean-up and special school in Trincomalee, the statement said. It added that on July 31, after departure, a maritime partnership exercise with a Sri Lanka Navy ship off Trincomalee is also planned. In June, the Indian Navy submarine Vagir visited Colombo to celebrate the International Day of Yoga.
Last week, during Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Sri Lankan President agreed on ‘Promoting Connectivity, Promoting Prosperity: India-Sri Lanka Economic Partnership Vision’. The leaders acknowledged that the India-Sri Lanka partnership has been a source of strength in overcoming the economic difficulties faced by Sri Lanka and Wickremesinghe expressed his appreciation of India’s timely, unprecedented and significant support to the Government and people of Sri Lanka, the Ministry of External Affairs in particular Did. Affairs said in a statement on July 21. The two leaders agreed to establish land connectivity between Sri Lanka and India to develop land access to the ports of Trincomalee and Colombo. To promote maritime connectivity, they agreed to cooperate in the development of ports and logistics infrastructure in Colombo, Trincomalee and Kankesanthurai to strengthen regional logistics and shipping, as per the mutual understanding. In keeping with India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) principle and Neighborhood First policy, the visit of Indian Navy ships to Sri Lanka strengthened the camaraderie and interoperability between the navies of the two neighbours.
