(COLOMBO) – The United States is to provide its fourth patrol vessel to Sri Lanka in a bid to help the island-nation to strengthen its maritime borders against non-state actors.
The offer was announced on Friday by the visiting US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma.
During a meeting with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and other senior officials Verma said that the move was also seen to deepen defense and maritime cooperation between the United States and Sri Lanka, including strengthening the Sri Lanka Navy’s capabilities to safeguard national security and promote a more stable Indo-Pacific region.
“I am pleased to announce that the Department of State has notified Congress of our intent to transfer a fourth medium endurance cutter to Sri Lanka.
The Department obligated US$9 million in Foreign Military Financing to support this effort. We look forward to offering the cutter, pending the completion of Congress’ notification period. If completed, this transfer would further strengthen defense cooperation between the United States and Sri Lanka.
The ship would increase Sri Lanka’s ability to patrol its Exclusive Economic Zone, monitor its search and rescue area, and provide additional security for ships from all nations that transit the busy sea lanes of the Indian Ocean,” Verma said.
U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung said: “The United States has previously transferred three cutters to the Sri Lankan Navy, which deploys these ships for maritime operations and law enforcement missions, countering human trafficking and drug trafficking, while supporting humanitarian assistance and disaster response efforts.
The eventual transfer of a fourth vessel would be just one more point in a long history of cooperation between Sri Lanka and the United States in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”
