Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s office on Thursday announced that a top-level “Indo-Lanka Defence Committee” has been established comprising top ranking government officials from both the countries.

“An Indo-Lanka committee of high officials on defence-related matters was established following the visit of a high-level delegation of officials to Delhi this week,” the President’s Office said, quoting diplomatic sources in a statement on Thursday evening.

“The composition of the committee is as follows: Secretary to the president Lalith Weeratunga, Defence Secretary Gothabhaya Rajapaksa and Senior Advisor to the President Basil Rajapaksa (Sri Lanka) and Defence Secretary Shri Vijay Singh, External Affairs Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and National Security Advisor M K  Narayanan (India),” the President’s office statement said.

It said that the establishment of the committee was the direct outcome of the discussions the Sri Lankan delegation had with their counterparts in New Delhi earlier this week.

Combating terror
“The present situation in Sri Lanka, development of the Eastern Province, and current humanitarian operations in the North were among the issues discussed. A fruitful discussion was also held on combating terrorism and devolving power as a means of finding a solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka,” the President’s office said.

According to the statement, India has reiterated its commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and expressed hopes that a solution would be soon found to the grievances of the Sri Lankan Tamils through devolution of power.