Colombo: His Excellency the Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka, Mr. Rémi Lambert, met with the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), at his office in Colombo. The meeting focused on the recent disaster Ditwah that impacted several regions of the country and the ongoing relief efforts.

According to Ministry of Defence, the discussions were centered around the national response led by the Government of Sri Lanka, with the Deputy Minister highlighting the role of the Armed Forces and civilian agencies in disaster management and humanitarian assistance. The Deputy Minister emphasized the importance of enhancing disaster preparedness, mitigation, and risk management, along with post-disaster recovery initiatives such as settlement planning, irrigation, agricultural rehabilitation, and infrastructure restoration.

Ambassador Lambert expressed France’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka during this period, noting the provision of 1,000 emergency relief kits for resettlement efforts. He i
nformed that a French military officer specializing in disaster management has arrived in Sri Lanka to assess requirements and engage with the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and other institutions.

The discussion also covered potential support for key national institutions like the DMC, National Building Research Organization (NBRO), and the Meteorology Department to enhance their capabilities. Both parties agreed on the importance of learning from recent disasters to improve rescue operations and coordination.

The meeting concluded with plans to address disaster response challenges through strategic and operational workshops aimed at improving preparedness and response mechanisms. Participants included the French Defence Attaché, Regional Civil Protection Attaché, and other officials from the French Embassy.