Colombo (LNW): The government of China yesterday (22) donated state-of-the-art ’emergency command and communication system vehicle fleet’ worth US $6.2 million to the government of Sri Lanka.
Acting Defence Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon officially accepted 11 military automobiles from the Chinese Ministry of National Defence, during a ceremony organised at the Army Headquarters premises yesterday.
These vehicles embedded with ultra-modern communication devices have been originally designed for military purposes.
Following the acceptance of military-to-military donation from the Defence Attaché (DA) of the Embassy of China in Sri Lanka, Senior Colonel Zhou Bo, the Acting Defence Minister Tennakoon handed over the same to Defence Secretary, General Kamal Gunaratne and the Defence Secretary symbolically presented the keys to the Army Commander Lt. Gen. Vikum Liyanage.
The Sri Lankan defence top brass along with the Chinese Embassy officials inspected the vehicles at the venue and Chief Signal Officer of the Sri Lanka Army Maj. Gen. Sugath Rathnayake and Chinese DA in Sri Lanka Senior Colonel Zhou Bo placed their signatures on an MOU between two countries during the session.
Sri Lanka Army intends to deploy these highly-developed military automobiles for both internal security and special duties in future.
Culminating the proceedings of the event, Acting Defence Minister Tennakoon presented a memento to the Chinese DA Senior Col. Bo, on behalf of the Sri Lanka Army as a gesture of goodwill and to symbolize the event.
Additional Secretaries, Senior Officials of the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry, Senior Army Officers and Assistant Defence Attaché of the Embassy of China in Sri Lanka were also present at the event.
