Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support his Department is providing to Sri Lanka to combat (a) terrorism and (b) drug trafficking.

The Sri Lanka and UK defence relationship was significantly strengthened in 2019 with the appointment of a resident Defence Adviser.

Following the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in 2019, the UK offered support to the Sri Lankan authorities based on the UK experience of tackling terrorism. Ministry of Defence support has included providing training to Sri Lanka in countering Improvised Explosive Devices, with some Sri Lankan students attending training in the UK.

HMS Montrose visited Colombo in April 2019 as part of her deployment in the Indian Ocean and conducted a short exercise with the Sri Lankan Navy. This visit was an opportunity for the UK and Sri Lankan Navies to compare experience in countering drug trafficking, and to share the tactics and techniques which have proven most effective in tackling this shared global threat.