The Commander of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), General Kevin Schneider, met with the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Sampath Thuyacontha.

The meeting took place yesterday (23) at the Ministry of Defence.

During the meeting, the Defence Secretary extended a warm welcome to General Schneider and, during the cordial discussion that followed, expressed appreciation for the long-standing friendship between Sri Lanka and the United States.

He also expressed gratitude for the continuous support provided by the United States to Sri Lanka’s development, security, and defence sectors.

The Defence Secretary further noted that Sri Lanka highly values its defence relations with the United States and emphasized the importance of strengthening this cooperation through capacity-building programmes.

He added that Sri Lanka looks forward to further enhancing bilateral cooperation through the exchange of professional expertise and experiences.

During the discussion, both parties exchanged views on strengthening defence cooperation between the two nations and explored future opportunities for collaboration by identifying emerging technological and strategic requirements.

The Defence Attaché of the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew House, was also present at the meeting.