Chennai

TamilNadu BJP President Nainar Nagenthran on Wednesday said Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s official visit to Sri Lanka would strengthen regional maritime security and pave the way for a permanent solution to the issues faced by Tamil Nadu fishermen.

Highlighting the significance of the trip, Nagenthran said this was the first visit by an Indian Defence Minister to the island nation in 38 years, since K C Pant travelled to Sri Lanka in 1988.

Visits by Indian Defence ministers have been avoided due to sensitivities surrounding India’s past military involvement during Sri Lanka’s civil war, even as administrative and diplomatic exchanges continued.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Colombo on Tuesday for a three-day official visit, he said in a statement.

The TN BJP leader said that the visit holds strategic importance given Sri Lanka’s key position along major international sea routes in the Indian Ocean.

Additionally, he said, the visit is expected to boost joint military exercises, including SLINEX and Mitra Shakti, enhance security at the Trincomalee oil tank farm, and increase training slots for Sri Lankan armed forces personnel at Indian defense institutions.