The State Partnership Program (SPP) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Montana National Guard and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence on November 14 reaffirms the two nations’ shared commitment to transparency and trust, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung stated.
Ambassador Chung noted that the United States looks forward to expanding cooperation through the SPP, particularly in the areas of disaster response, maritime security, and professional military exchanges—areas she said would benefit both countries and contribute to a more secure Indo-Pacific region.
The MoU, signed on Friday at the Ministry of Defence, formalizes a defense partnership between the Montana National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard District 13, and the Sri Lankan Armed Forces under the U.S. Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program.
The agreement was signed by Ambassador Julie Chung, Adjutant General of the Montana National Guard Brigadier General Trenton Gibson, and Sri Lanka’s Secretary of Defence Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd). The U.S. Embassy described the MoU as a historic milestone in U.S.–Sri Lanka defense relations, strengthening professional ties and advancing their shared goal of peace through partnership in the Indo-Pacific.
