Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sept. 3 -- Ministry of Defence and Urban Development issued the following news release:
Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) represented Sri Lanka at the 28th Annual Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) Conference, held in Victoria, Canada, from 31 August to 2 September 2026.
During the conference, the Defence Secretary participated in multilateral discussions on key regional and international security concerns, contributed valuable insights, and shared Sri Lanka's perspectives on evolving security dynamics, emerging challenges, and the importance of strengthening cooperation among Indo-Pacific partners.
Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff, General Jennie Carignan, and the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, co-hosted the conference. This year's conference was held under the theme "Strengthening Collective Security: Navigating Challenges in a Dynamic Indo-Pacific Landscape."
The three-day conference brought together defence and military heads from around 30 countries to exchange views and insights on the thematic issues under discussion.
On the sidelines of the conference, Defence Secretary Thuyacontha also held a series of bilateral meetings with senior defence officials and heads of defence from several participating countries. These engagements provided an opportunity to discuss matters of mutual interest and explore avenues for strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, particularly in areas such as military training, capacity building, maritime security, cybersecurity, disaster preparedness and professional military exchanges.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
