Sri Lanka strengthens maritime ties with Japan

The inaugural Sri Lanka-Japan Dialogue on 'Maritime Security, Safety and Oceanic Issues' was held at the Ministry of Defence recently.

The two sides held discussions on a range of subjects including the situation in the Indo Pacific Ocean Region, co-operation in the areas of maritime security and safety, regional multilateral initiatives including activities within the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) and partnership between the two countries as maritime nations. The meeting was co-chaired by Takashi Ariyoshi, Director/Southwest Asia Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and S. Hettiarachchi, Additional Secretary (Defence).