The Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Admiral Stephen T. Koehler, who is on an official visit to Sri Lanka has met with the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera at the Navy Headquarters, Colombo today (10 October).

The visiting delegates received a warm welcome upon their arrival at the Navy Headquarters where the 4-star U.S. Navy Admiral was accorded a Guard of Honour in compliance with naval traditions, Sri Lanka Navy said in a statement.

Subsequent discussions between Admiral Stephen T. Koehler and Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera mainly focused on rising security challenges in the Indian Ocean region, strengthen collaboration on maritime domain awareness and disaster response, reaffirm U.S. commitment to supporting Sri Lanka in combating transnational threats, discussing the growing cooperation between U.S. and Sri Lanka Navy and promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, the statement mentioned.

During his visit, Admiral Stephen T. Koehler participated in a briefing on the Navy’s operational functions and visited the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo, located at Navy Headquarters.

The Chief of Staff of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, senior officers from the Navy Headquarters as well as officers from the U.S. Embassy in Colombo and U.S. Navy were present on this occasion.

The official interaction drew to a close with an exchange of mementoes, signifying the importance of the occasion, according to Sri Lanka Navy.