The Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army (COAS) General Manoj Mukund Naravane arrived in Sri Lanka a short while ago on a five-day goodwill tour.

He is visiting Sri Lanka on the invitation of his Sri Lankan counterpart, General Shavendra Silva, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army. The Indian Army Chief leads a five-member delegation.

During his stay, General Manoj Mukund Naravane is scheduled to pay courtesy calls on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, General Kamal Gunaratne (Retd), Secretary to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage, High Commissioner of India Gopal Baglay, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army, General Shavendra Silva and Commanders of the Navy and the Air Force.

On Thursday (14), the visiting Indian Army Chief gracing the Gajaba Regiment Regimental Day commemorative ceremonials at Saliyapura is to be honoured in a parade before he joins the presentation of driving and firing simulators to the School of Sri Lanka Army Service Corps at Anuradhapura and witnesses the final demonstration of the ongoing bilateral Exercise ‘Mitra Shakti’ at the Maduru Oya Special Forces Training School.

The delegation, comprising his spouse, Veena Naravane, President, Army Wives Welfare Association, Major General Rajeev Thapar, Major General Staff, HQ Army Training Command, Major General Vikrant Naik, Military Assistant to the COAS and Colonel Mandeep Singh Dhillon is also set to pay homage to the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi.

The Indian Army Chief is also expected to pay floral tributes to the memory of IPKF War Heroes at the monument in Sri Jayawardenepura before he proceeds to the Army Headquarters.

The COAS will also make a formal visit to the Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) at Sapugaskanda towards the end of his itinerary in Sri Lanka and meet the undergraduates.