Colombo: The Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Sri Lanka, H.E. Adel Ibrahim, paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), at the Deputy Minister’s Office yesterday.

According to Ministry of Defence – Sri Lanka, the meeting was held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere, during which both parties engaged in discussions on matters of mutual interest, reflecting the longstanding bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Egypt.

On behalf of His Excellency the President and the people of Sri Lanka, the Deputy Minister of Defence expressed sincere appreciation for the steadfast support extended by His Excellency the President and the people of Egypt. He further emphasized that the nation is actively engaged in rebuilding efforts following significant challenges and remains committed to restoring normalcy across all sectors. Acknowledging the profound difficulties faced, he highlighted key areas of focus including transport, health, education, housing, and
social services.

Both parties expressed a strong desire to expand bilateral defence and military cooperation through the exchange of expertise, capacity building initiatives, high-level delegation visits, and the provision of short, medium, and long-term training opportunities. HE the Ambassador highly commended Sri Lanka’s exemplary and structured handling of the recent national crisis, which averted widespread chaos. He further emphasized that this positive assessment, along with the demonstrated national unity and resilience of the Sri Lankan people, should be conveyed to the international community.

The longstanding historical friendship between the two nations was recalled as the foundation for future partnership. The courtesy call reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to further strengthen cooperation and goodwill at the governmental level.