July 09, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, with senior officials from both countries holding discussions on enhancing cooperation in defence and security.
Resident Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Sri Lanka, Sergey Viktorov, paid a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Defence, where he met Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) and Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd).
The Sri Lankan delegation welcomed the Ambassador during discussions held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere, with both sides reaffirming the longstanding friendship shared by the two nations.
The meeting centred on opportunities to deepen collaboration in several areas of mutual interest, including defence cooperation, military training, personnel exchange programmes, and capacity-building initiatives.
The two sides also discussed strengthening collaboration in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), while exchanging views on regional security developments and the importance of enhancing institutional cooperation.
Officials also explored avenues for closer engagement between the defence establishments of the two countries, highlighting the potential for increased knowledge-sharing and professional exchanges in the future.
The discussions underscored the shared commitment of Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan to broadening bilateral cooperation and fostering stronger diplomatic and defence relations.
Also present at the meeting was Rustem Jamankulov, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Sri Lanka.
