June 12, 2025
NEW DELHI – Lieutenant General BKGM Lasantha Rodrigo, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, is on a four-day official visit to India, beginning Wednesday, an official communique issued here said.
His visit is set to enhance bilateral military cooperation and explore new avenues for collaboration, particularly in the areas of training and capability enhancement. It underscores the continued efforts of both nations to further strengthen and deepen their longstanding defence partnership, it said.
The first day of the visit began with a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at the National War Memorial in New Delhi. Lieutenant General BKGM Lasantha Rodrigo paid tribute to the brave soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the nation.
Following the wreath-laying, the visiting officer was given a formal Guard of Honour in the South Block lawns. The ceremonial event, attended by senior officials of the Indian Army, marked a significant gesture of respect and a symbol of the enduring friendship between the two nations, it said.
The Guard of Honour was followed by a series of high-level meetings beginning with an in-depth interaction with Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani, Vice Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army.
Both the military leaders discussed wide-ranging issues, including aspects of bilateral defence cooperation and regional security concerns, the statement said.
Later, Rodrigo was briefed on Operation Sindoor and India’s security perspective. He was also briefed by other senior officers of the Indian Army on matters of mutual interest.
Rodrigo is scheduled to visit Jaipur and meet Lieutenant General Manjinder Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Command, on Thursday.
He will also be attending the passing out parade at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, as the Reviewing Officer on 14th June.
His visit will mark a poignant return to his alma mater, where he was commissioned in December 1990, with the 87th Course of the IMA-an experience that laid the foundation of his illustrious military career, it said.