India-Sri Lanka joint exercise MITRA SHAKTI- 2019 to be conducted from 1 Dec

The joint exercise is designed for incorporating the current dynamics of United Nations peacekeeping operations through practical & comprehensive discussions and tactical exercises.

The seventh edition of India-Sri Lanka joint training exercise, Exercise MITRA SHAKTI– 2019 is scheduled to be conducted at Foreign Training Node (FTN), Pune from 01 - 14 December 2019. The sixth edition of the exercise was held in Sri Lanka.

The aim of this joint training exercise is to build and promote positive relations between armies of India and Sri Lanka with a focus on subunit level training for counter-insurgency & counter-terrorism operations in the urban and rural environments under the United Nations mandate. The joint exercise is designed for incorporating the current dynamics of United Nations peacekeeping operations through practical & comprehensive discussions and tactical exercises. The joint effort will also focus on achieving the desired level of interoperability and cohesive operational ability of the troops from both India and Sri Lanka through mutual exchange of operational experiences & best practices.

       India and Sri Lanka have collaborated on counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations over the years. The two sides have a long history of military cooperation. Exercise MITRA SHAKTI - 2019 is aimed at sending a strong message to all the member nations of the United Nations of the intent, commitment, and capability of the militaries of both India & Sri Lanka towards maintaining world peace and upholding the mandate of United Nations.

(With Inputs from PIB)