Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Robin K. Dhowan, on Monday expressed hope that the visit of his Sri Lankan counterpart Vice Admiral Jayantha Perera would further strengthen and bridge the friendship that exists between the two Asian neighbours and open-up avenues of co-operation between both sides.
"I think the visit of Admiral Perera is going to give a boost and will further strengthen the bridges of friendship between our two great countries and open up the avenues of co-operation not just between the two Navies , but also our two great countries," Admiral Dhowan told the media here.
"I think we have a very very strong relationship as far as the Navy co-operation, between the Indian Navy and Sri Lankan Navy is concerned. This goes beyond the normal training where we train a large number of Sri Lankan personnel both officers and sailors in our schools and establishments. We carry out exercises and we have information exchange between the countries and we assist them in whichever way we can. We also have a role to play to ensure that seas around us are kept safe and secure," he added.
Responding to a poser about the transfer of military equipments being considered for Sri Lanka, Admiral Dhowan said, "As you are aware we have an offshore patrol vessel, which is now the flagship of the Sri Lankan Navy... We also have two of the offshore patrol vessels which are under construction at the Goa Shipyard Limited, so this is part of our ongoing co-operation between our two countries."
The Sri Lankan Navy chief, who is on a five-day official visit to India, allayed India's fears on increasing Chinese military presence in the island nation, as he categorically stated that his nation will never compromise on India's national security or for that matter of any other country.
The Sri Lankan Navy chief's visit to India is taking place soon after the visit of Sri Lankan Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.