Sri Lankan Navy Commander Vice Admiral Damian Fernando Meets Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi

Sri Lankan Navy Commander Vice Admiral Damian Fernando met Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi on August 27, 2026, as part of his three-day official visit to India, with the two sides reviewing ongoing defence cooperation and discussing ways to deepen engagement between the two maritime neighbours.

The courtesy call gave India and Sri Lanka an opportunity to assess the progress of activities and projects being carried out under the Bilateral Defence Cooperation Plan. According to the source material, the meeting focused on areas of mutual interest and on initiatives intended to strengthen existing defence ties.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to building on current mechanisms of bilateral engagement. The discussions also stressed the value of continued institutional interaction and the implementation of agreed defence cooperation measures, which the source said were central to maintaining momentum in the relationship.

Vice Admiral Fernando’s visit comes within the framework of regular high-level exchanges between the defence establishments of the two countries. Such visits provide a formal setting to review cooperation already under way, exchange views on shared concerns and identify areas where collaboration can be expanded further.

The interaction also reflected the broader defence relationship between India and Sri Lanka, which the source described as longstanding and anchored in shared interests. The emphasis during the meeting was on cooperation in areas of mutual importance, especially given the close maritime geography of the two countries.

By the end of the three-day visit, the Sri Lankan Navy Commander is expected to have further reinforced defence and maritime ties between the two sides, while contributing to greater understanding and closer cooperation between their armed forces.