Indigenously-built Indian naval ship to visit Srilanka's Trincomalee

Colombo, July 29 (IANS) Indian naval ship ‘Khanjar’, an indigenously-built Missile Corvette of the Khukri class, will make a three-day visit to Sri Lanka’s eastern habour of Trincomalee from Saturday.

The ship's Commanding Officer NVS Phani Kumar will call on the Commander Eastern Naval Area, while various professional interactions will take place on VBSS, gunnery and missile operations, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said in a statement.

“The visit of the Indian naval ship Khanjar, a Khukri class Corvette, is also significant in view of the potential for cooperation between India and Sri Lanka for augmenting capabilities of Sri Lanka Navy for efficiently addressing shared challenges for maritime security in the region,” the statement said.

With an aim to further people-to-people connection and familiarise the public with the Indian Navy and its capabilities, the ship will be open for visits by school children.

The general public can visit it on July 30.

In promoting goodwill and involving in social activities, the crew will carry out a yoga session, beach cleaning programme and a visit to a school in Trincomaleen, while a reception has been planned onboard for senior officials from the military and civil administration.

Meanwhile, a Maritime Partnership Exercise with a Sri Lanka Navy ship off Trincomalee is also planned for July 31, the High Commission added.

According to the “India-Sri Lanka Economic Partnership Vision” agreed upon by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ranil Wickremesinghe during the latter’s recent visit to New Delhi, Trincomalee had become major highlight in promoting connectivity between the two South Asian neighbours.

The two leaders had held discussion to establish land connectivity between the two countries for developing land access to the ports of Trincomalee.

To promote maritime connectivity, it had been agreed to cooperate in development of ports and logistics infrastructure at Trincomalee with the aim to consolidate regional logistics and shipping and also to explore air connectivity between Chennai and Trincomalee. 

With the India-run Trincomalee Tank Farms, it was agreed to develop the port city as a national and regional hub of industry, energy and economic activity.

To celebrate the International Day of Yoga in June, Indian naval Submarine Vagir had visited Colombo. 

At the time, the High Commission had said “visits by Indian Navy vessels to Sri Lanka further strengthen the camaraderie and interoperability between the Navies of the two neighbours, in keeping with India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)  doctrine and ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy".