India’s considerations result in cancellation of Pakistan-Sri Lanka naval drills off Trincomalee

A plan to carry a army train between the navies of Pakistan and Sri Lanka within the strategic waters of Trincomalee was shelved a number of weeks again, after New Delhi conveyed its considerations to Colombo over the proposed drills, a number of sources have stated.

Trincomalee is located on Sri Lanka’s northeastern coast and is taken into account a major hub within the Indian Ocean area, particularly for India’s maritime safety pursuits.

The sources stated the navies of the 2 international locations had deliberate to hold out the train off Trincomalee, in step with their common engagements.

The plan didn’t undergo after India apprised its apprehensions over the train to the Sri Lankan aspect, they informed PTI.

The joint train was deliberate weeks forward of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s go to to Colombo, the sources stated.

The navies of Pakistan and Sri Lanka are recognized to have cordial relations and warships from each international locations go to one another’s ports commonly, in addition to finishing up wargames.

There was no official phrase on the plan both from Sri Lanka or Pakistan.

Navy specialists, explaining Trincomalee’s strategic significance for India, stated it has the potential to dominate the Bay of Bengal and far of the northeast Indian Ocean, and New Delhi was proper in expressing considerations over the proposed train.

The Pakistani Navy operates in shut cooperation with China’s PLA Navy and New Delhi has causes to have considerations over any go to by Pakistani warships to Trincomalee, stated one of many specialists.

The docking of Chinese language missile and satellite tv for pc monitoring ship ”Yuan Wang” on the Hambantota port in August 2022 had triggered a diplomatic row between India and Sri Lanka.

One other Chinese language warship docked on the Colombo port in August 2023 had additionally triggered some considerations in New Delhi.

In the previous couple of years, India has been specializing in extending help to Sri Lanka in creating Trincomalee’s vitality infrastructure.

India is very revitalising the oil tank farms in Trincomalee that has one of many best pure harbours on the planet.

Throughout Modi’s go to to Colombo this month, India, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) firmed up an formidable settlement to develop Trincomalee as an ”vitality hub”, with a broader purpose to assist the island nation obtain vitality safety and gasoline its financial development.

Considerably, India and Sri Lanka additionally signed a defence pact to institutionalise army cooperation following talks between Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The settlement on defence cooperation indicators a serious try to spice up the India-Sri Lanka defence ties, practically 4 many years after the Indian Peace Conserving Power’s intervention within the island nation strained the relations.

India has been increasing its total strategic ties with Sri Lanka amid considerations over China’s makes an attempt to extend affect over the island nation.

Three years again, India handed over a Dornier maritime surveillance plane to Sri Lanka.

The plane was given to Sri Lanka from the stock of the Indian Navy to assist the nation meet its quick safety requirement.