Colombo's navy receives US help to ‘safeguard strategic lines of communication’

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 February 2020, 18:15 GMT]
US Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Joanthan Henick has said that the US was growing its “broad and multi-faceted strategic partnership” with quadrilateral partner India. At the same time, his office was also “helping Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Maldives equip and train their navies and coast guards to safeguard strategic lines of communication,” Mr Henick said while addressing the Foreign Press Centre in Washington, D.C., along with his colleague in charge of East Asia and a mission director of the USAID on the subject of “The U.S. Vision for the Indo-Pacific Region” on Thursday.

“Last December, we hosted the second annual U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, led by our Secretaries of State and Defense and their counterparts. Strengthening our security and diplomatic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region was at the center of those discussions. We also continue to coordinate our approaches in the Indo-Pacific with the quadrilateral partners: India, Japan, and Australia. Last fall, the Secretary hosted the first ever Quad meeting at the ministerial level, demonstrating the commitment of our leaders to this convening of like-minded Indo-Pacific partners,” Mr Henick said.

“The U.S.-India partnership stands upon a shared commitment to uphold the rule of law, freedom of navigation, democratic values, counterterrorism cooperation, and private sector-led economic growth. So it is not surprising that there is virtually no daylight in our approaches to the Indo-Pacific,” he continued.

“The United States is also increasing bilateral engagement with other South Asian partners. We’re helping Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Maldives equip and train their navies and coast guards to safeguard strategic lines of communication, combat human trafficking, prevent illegal fishing, disrupt drug smuggling, and respond to natural disasters. We’ve helped UN peacekeeping contributing states like Bangladesh and Nepal become more effective by providing equipment and training. Efforts like these demonstrate the importance the United States places on South Asian partners’ political autonomy and their role in an inclusive Indo-Pacific vision.”

External Links:

US Department of State :

The U.S. Vision for the Indo-Pacific Region

Chronology: