Sri Lanka’s Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), held bilateral discussions with Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, General Phan Van Giang, on May 8 at the Hilton Colombo, on the sidelines of Vietnamese President Tô Lâm’s state visit.
The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing defence cooperation between the two countries, the Defence Ministry said. The Defence Secretary thanked the Vietnamese government and the visiting delegation for their continued support and cooperation.
General Giang reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to strengthening engagement with Sri Lanka’s defence sector on areas of mutual interest and reiterated support for a “secure and cooperative partnership” between the two countries.
The Vietnamese delegation included Director General of Vietnam’s General Department of Defence Industry Lt. Gen. Tran Cong Chinh, Director General of the Foreign Relations Department Lt. Gen. Vu Thanh Van, and the Vietnamese Defence Attaché to India Sr. Col. Nguyen Ngoc Dai. The Senior Additional Secretary and Military Liaison Officer at Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry also attended.
The defence-secretary track ran in parallel with the presidential bilateral that delivered five MoUs and a US$1 billion 2030 trade target, and the prime ministerial meeting between Harini Amarasuriya and President Tô Lâm at the same hotel. Tô Lâm also addressed parliament on May 8 — the first foreign head of state to do so in 11 years.
Sources: Newswire, Ada Derana.
