A plan to hold a army exercise between the navies of Pakistan and Sri Lanka within the strategic waters of Trincomalee was shelved a number of weeks again, after New Delhi conveyed its concerns to Colombo over the proposed drills, a number of sources have stated.
Trincomalee is located on Sri Lanka’s northeastern coast and is taken into account a big hub within the Indian Ocean area, particularly for India’s maritime safety pursuits.
The sources stated the Navies of the 2 nations had deliberate to perform the exercise off Trincomalee, in keeping with their common engagements.
The plan didn’t undergo after India apprised its apprehensions over the exercise to the Sri Lankan facet, they advised PTI.
The joint exercise was deliberate weeks forward of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s go to to Colombo, the sources stated.
The Navies of Pakistan and Sri Lanka are identified to have cordial relations and warships from each nations go to one another’s ports usually, in addition to finishing up wargames.
There was no official phrase on the plan both from Sri Lanka or Pakistan.
Military consultants, explaining Trincomalee’s strategic significance for India, stated it has the potential to dominate the Bay of Bengal and far of the northeast Indian Ocean, and New Delhi was proper in expressing concerns over the proposed exercise.
The Pakistani Navy operates in shut cooperation with China’s PLA Navy and New Delhi has causes to have concerns over any go to by Pakistani warships to Trincomalee, stated one of many consultants.
The docking of Chinese missile and satellite tv for pc monitoring ship “Yuan Wang” on the Hambantota port in August 2022 had triggered a diplomatic row between India and Sri Lanka.
Another Chinese warship docked on the Colombo port in August 2023 had additionally triggered some concerns in New Delhi.
In the previous few years, India has been specializing in extending help to Sri Lanka in growing Trincomalee’s vitality infrastructure.
India is very taking a look at revitalising the oil tank farms in Trincomalee that has one of many best pure harbours on the earth.
During Mr. Modi’s go to to Colombo this month, India, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) firmed up an formidable settlement to develop Trincomalee as an “energy hub”, with a broader purpose to assist the island nation obtain vitality safety and gas its financial progress.
Significantly, India and Sri Lanka additionally signed a defence pact to institutionalise army cooperation following talks between Mr. Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The settlement on defence cooperation indicators a serious try to increase the India-Sri Lanka defence ties, practically 4 a long time after the Indian Peace Keeping Force’s intervention within the island nation strained the relations.
India has been increasing its total strategic ties with Sri Lanka amid concerns over China’s makes an attempt to enhance affect over the island nation.
Three years again, India handed over a Dornier maritime surveillance plane to Sri Lanka.
The plane was given to Sri Lanka from the stock of the Indian Navy to assist the nation meet its speedy safety requirement.
Published – April 19, 2025 07:51 am IST
