16 March 2023
Colombo
High Commissioner of Maldives to Sri Lanka, H.E Ali Faiz met with the Secretary, Ministry of Defence General (retired) G D H Kamal Gunaratne, at the Ministry of Defence complex, Jayawardenapura Kotte.
High Commissioner Faiz thanked the Defence Secretary for the longstanding defence cooperation between Maldives and Sri Lanka. High Commissioner Faiz also remarked on the importance of fostering strong defence and security cooperation relations between neighboring countries to counter threats such as narcotics smuggling, illegal fishing and other nontraditional threats.
Defence Secretary highlighted the existing defence cooperation relations between Maldives and Sri Lanka such as the Colombo Security Conclave and the trilateral maritime exercise DOSTI. Defence Secretary noted that Sri Lanka looks forward to expanding joint training and exercises with Maldives, and also strengthen cooperation on areas such as countering terrorism and violent extremism.
High Commissioner Ali Faiz was accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Amir, the Defence Advisor of Maldives to Sri Lanka.