Colombo, Sri Lanka, September 9 — Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday paid tribute to Indian soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty by laying a wreath at the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial in Colombo. He later received a Guard of Honour.
Singh said the soldiers’ supreme sacrifice would always be remembered by the nation and would continue to inspire future generations.
The IPKF was deployed in Sri Lanka in 1987 under the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord to disarm the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and help restore peace, particularly in the Jaffna Peninsula. The force operated in challenging counterinsurgency conditions before withdrawing in March 1990.
The tribute came during Singh’s three-day visit to Sri Lanka, which is focused on strengthening defense, maritime and broader bilateral cooperation.
During the visit, Singh held a bilateral meeting with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s greetings to him.
Singh said India and Sri Lanka, as close neighbors and maritime partners, had reaffirmed their commitment to working together for economic development, the well-being of their people and regional security, peace and prosperity.
He also reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka during difficult times, recalling New Delhi’s response to Cyclone Ditwah last year through Operation Sagar Bandhu. He said coordinated efforts by the Indian Armed Forces and Sri Lankan government agencies helped save lives, restore connectivity and deliver relief and medical assistance.
Singh said Sri Lanka remains central to India’s Neighbourhood First policy and its MAHASAGAR vision — Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
Earlier, while addressing Sri Lanka’s military leadership at the Ministry of Defence on India-Sri Lanka maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region, Singh said ports in both countries could become “engines of shared economic growth,” with maritime industries serving as drivers of future prosperity.
He also called for resolving the longstanding fishermen’s dispute in a mutually beneficial manner while respecting relevant laws and geographic jurisdictions.
On economic ties, Singh said India is among Sri Lanka’s largest trading partners and its largest investor. He expressed New Delhi’s interest in further expanding trade and investment and said India looked forward to moving expeditiously on the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement.
Singh said India’s development cooperation with Sri Lanka is people-centric and guided by Colombo’s priorities and requirements, with Indian-assisted projects spanning major sectors across all districts of the island nation.
Singh’s visit marks a significant diplomatic milestone, making him the first Indian Defence Minister to visit Sri Lanka for official defense-level discussions in nearly 40 years, following then-Defence Minister K.C. Pant’s visit in 1988. (ANI)
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