Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Sri Lanka deferred: Defence Ministry
Sep 01, 2023
New Delhi [India], September 1 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Sri Lanka on September 2-3 has been deferred due to "unavoidable circumstances", Ministry of Defence Principal Spokesperson A Bharat Bhushan Babu said. Rajnath Singh looks forward to visiting Sri Lanka at the earliest possible time frame.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, A Bharat Bhushan Babu stated, "Due to unavoidable circumstances the visit of Hon'ble RM to Sri Lanka stands deferred to a later date. Shri @rajnathsingh remains committed to strong bilateral cooperation between India & Sri Lanka. RM looks forward to visiting the island nation at earliest possible time frame."
Rajnath Singh was scheduled to visit Sri Lanka from September 2-3 to review defence ties. During the visit, he was slated to talk with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. During the meeting, the two sides were due to review defence ties between India and Sri Lanka, the Defence Ministry said in a press release.
"During the visit, Shri Rajnath Singh will hold talks with President & Defence Minister of Sri Lanka Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Mr Dinesh Gunawardena. The entire gamut of India’s defence ties with Sri Lanka will be reviewed during the meetings," the Defence Ministry informed in an earlier press release.
India and Sri Lanka have a legacy of intellectual, cultural, religious and linguistic interaction and the relationship between the two nations is more than 2500 years old, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Trade and investment between the two nations have grown and there is cooperation in the fields of development, education, culture and defence. India and Sri Lanka share a broad understanding of major issues of international interest.