COAS to hold high-level talks in Sri Lanka amid rising Indo-Pacific security pressure

Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi will embark on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka from December 1–2, marking a significant milestone in India–Sri Lanka defence cooperation. The visit comes amid a steady rise in high-level military engagements between the two nations, reinforcing mutual trust, strategic alignment and growing operational synergy.

In a statement issued here, the army spokesperson stated that the upcoming visit aims to reinforce India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy by emphasizing partnership, stability and cooperation with Sri Lanka. It serves to highlight India’s position as a reliable security partner, committed to supporting Sri Lanka in capability building and capacity enhancement across various defence domains.

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The visit is also expected to deepen Army-to-Army relations through expanded opportunities for training, professional exchanges, joint exercises and dialogue on operational best practices. Importantly, the COAS’s interactions with Sri Lankan political and military leadership will facilitate the sharing of perspectives on emerging regional and global security challenges, especially at a time when the Indo-Pacific and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) face new and evolving strategic pressures, the spokesperson added.

Previous visits by Indian Chiefs, such as General MM Naravane’s official trip to Sri Lanka in 2021 during which he held extensive discussions with Sri Lankan leadership and witnessed the joint Exercise Mitra Shakti, have laid a strong foundation for continued collaboration.

India’s engagement has also been reinforced through cross-service interactions, including the visit of Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, to Sri Lanka in September 2025, which underscored the growing maritime cooperation between the two nations.

These engagements mirror reciprocal visits by senior Sri Lankan military leaders to India, most notably the official visit of Commander of Sri Lanka Army Lieutenant General BKGM Lasantha Rodrigo in June 2025, where he revisited the Indian Military Academy as the Reviewing Officer for the Passing Out Parade and Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage visit in 2023, which reflected Sri Lanka’s continued emphasis on maintaining close professional ties with India.