The defence agreement signed between Sri Lanka and the United States will be tabled in Parliament for the second time today (20), the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) stated.
The Deputy Minister made this statement while expressing his views in Parliament.
Earlier today, Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara stated that although it was previously claimed that the agreement had been tabled, only a Sinhala-language version of the document had been presented to Parliament.
MP Jayasekara claimed that the agreement had not been officially tabled in Parliament.
Responding to this, the Deputy Minister of Defence said that the agreement had in fact been tabled earlier during the third reading debate of the Defence Ministry and that he is tabling it once again today.
In a bid to enhance bilateral defence cooperation, the United States and Sri Lanka signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on November 14 at the Ministry of Defence.
US Ambassador Julie Chung and Brigadier General Trenton Gibson, Adjutant General of the Montana National Guard signed the agreement on behalf of the U.S. Government, while the Secretary of Defence Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) signed on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka.
The agreement formalises collaboration between the Montana National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard District 13, and the Sri Lanka Armed Forces under the U.S. Department of Defence’s State Partnership Program (SPP), the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Speaking after signing the agreement, the Deputy Minister, Major General Jayasekara (Retd), underscored the significance of the MOU, stating that it represents a pivotal milestone in the enduring defence partnership between Sri Lanka and the United States.
He said, “this landmark agreement underscores our shared strategic interests and mutual commitment, paving the way for enhanced collaboration in capacity building, joint training, humanitarian assistance, disaster response, cyber defence, peacekeeping, CBRN response, and leadership development. We deeply appreciate the unwavering friendship, solidarity, and generosity of the United States and look forward to further strengthening this vital partnership.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung also underscored the importance of the US–Sri Lanka defence cooperation in her remarks and emphasized the deep and enduring friendship between the two nations, highlighting the significance of continued defence cooperation and mutual understanding. She acknowledged the longstanding partnership built on shared values, expressing confidence that the renewed commitments would allow shared training and learning opportunities.
With this MOU, Sri Lanka has formally joined the global network of 115 nations partnered with U.S. state National Guards under the State Partnership Program (SPP). The first series of joint activities under the MOU is planned to be held in 2026 and will focus on disaster response, maritime domain awareness, and professional military education. The partnership will enhance interoperability through joint training, maritime cooperation to counter trafficking and illicit migration, crisis response and humanitarian assistance, aviation operations, and strengthened military - civilian disaster preparedness, the Defence Ministry noted.
