Japan, Sri Lanka agree to enhance cooperation of defense forces
- CNL Reporter
- May 5, 2025
- Political
- Japan, Sri Lanka
- 0 Comments
Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Sri Lankan Deputy Defense Minister Aruna Jayasekara agreed Sunday to strengthen cooperation between their countries’ defense forces to promote stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Nakatani’s visit to Sri Lanka, the second by a Japanese defense minister, underscores the importance Japan places on ties with the island nation, which sits along key shipping lanes, amid China’s growing economic and military influence in the region.
During the talks in Colombo, Nakatani expressed his “serious concerns over unilateral attempts to change the status quo,” according to the Japanese Defense Ministry, with China’s assertiveness in the East and South China seas apparently in mind.
The two countries are planning projects to deepen cooperation across all three branches of their defense forces, including inviting the Sri Lanka Army to observe disaster response exercises in Japan and collaborating on the development of air rescue and medical flight capabilities, according to the ministry
