Japan to Provide Additional 1 Billion JPY Assistance to the Sri Lanka Navy to Strengthen its Maritime Safety and Security Capabilities

On 10th November, H.E. Akio ISOMATA, Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka, and Dr. Harshana SURIYAPPERUMA, Secretary to the Treasury and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development of Sri Lanka, signed and exchanged notes for grant assistance of one billion Japanese yen (¥1,000,000,000), equivalent of approximately two billion Sri Lankan Rupees (Rs. 2,106,000,000), under Japan’s Official Security Assistance (OSA) scheme for FY2026. Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Sampath Thuyacontha, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, was also present at the signing ceremony.

The assistance this year is for the procurement of Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) to the Sri Lanka Navy to enhance its maritime safety and security capabilities, including monitoring, surveillance, and disaster response capabilities. This is the second assistance project for Sri Lanka under the OSA scheme, which is a grant aid cooperation framework the Government of Japan launched in 2023 to strengthen the security and deterrence capabilities of like-minded countries. Under the first project agreed upon last year, the procurement of unmanned Aeriel Vehicles (UAVs) is currently being processed, which will also improve the Sri Lanka Navy’s monitoring, surveillance and disaster relief capabilities.

Japan's assistance for these projects in Sri Lanka is based upon the vision of a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" (FOIP). In May this year the Government of Japan announced the "Updated FOIP," which deems it essential for countries and regions in the Indo-Pacific to acquire autonomy and resilience across all aspects of economy, society and security to cope with an increasingly complex and challenging environment the world currently faces. The provision of RHIBs to the Sri Lanka Navy through OSA is expected to make a substantial contribution to this end.

Commenting on the project signed today, Ambassador ISOMATA stated, “Both Japan and Sri Lanka are island nations sharing the Indo-Pacific, and there is vast potential for further cooperation, especially in the field of maritime security. Japan is committed to assisting Sri Lanka in strengthening its capacity to independently carry out security and law enforcement functions, while playing a proactive role in upholding the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific region.”