Six officers and 35 other personnel of the Pakistan Army and four other officers of Sri Lankan Army and 40 other personnel took part in the joint exercise.
Pakistan Army (symbolic photo)
The armies of Sri Lanka and Pakistan conducted a 15-day Joint Exercise to enhance bilateral defense ties and share the rich experiences of both armies against terrorism. A practice called ‘X-shake hand’ was held at Saliyapura in the northern central province of Sri Lanka. It was informed in a release issued by the Pakistan High Commission.
The release said that six Pakistan Army officials and 35 other personnel and four Sri Lankan Army officials and 40 other personnel took part in the exercise. According to the information, the purpose of this exercise was to strengthen bilateral defense relations and share the rich experiences of both the forces against terrorism with each other.
Pakistan supported Sri Lanka
On this occasion, Sri Lankan Army Chief General Shavendra Silva said that Pakistan has been a true friend of Sri Lanka on every difficult occasion and has always supported Sri Lanka. Recently, Pakistan also supported Sri Lanka against the UN Security Council resolution.
Some countries, including Pakistan, voted in favor of Sri Lanka on the United Nations Security Council (UNHRC) resolutions last week to take action on Sri Lanka’s accountability and reconciliation over human rights. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Sri Lanka in February.
Imran went on a tour of Sri Lanka in February
Imran Khan, who arrived in Sri Lanka in February, met Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and shared areas of mutual interest such as trade and tourism. The Colombo Page report said that there was a long discussion between the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan on bilateral relations. The Pakistani leader had said that this dialogue was very meaningful. The two leaders also discussed the exchange of assistive technology knowledge in agriculture between the two countries.
Two neighboring countries coming closer
First the visit of the Pakistani Prime Minister, then Pakistan’s support to Sri Lanka on the UNHRC proposal and now joint exercise, the developments indicate that these two neighboring countries of India are coming closer. However, Sri Lanka has conducted a military exercise against terrorism with a country which itself is a refuge for ‘terrorism’. The Sri Lankan cricket team itself has suffered the damages of ‘friendship’ of Pakistan and terrorism, when the Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked by terrorists in Lahore on 3 March 2009.
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