Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed on Wednesday to promote bilateral cooperation on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region.
During their meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Abe and Sirisena confirmed that the two countries will advance bilateral defense exchanges, with Japan assisting Sri Lanka in capacity building for maritime law enforcement.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe welcomed President Maithripala Sirisena to his residence yesterday, where they agreed to promote Tokyo's "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" and signed a memorandum of understanding for a 10.6 billion yen ($99.6 million) loan for health-related projects.
"By working together, we will make the Indo-Pacific an international commons that offers peace and prosperity for any country without discrimination," Abe said at a joint press conference. Sirisena added that the two countries will deepen their existing partnership.
Sri Lanka will use the yen loan to build out national hospital facilities and encourage the use of medical devices like catheters. The funds will also be used to train doctors and other medical professionals to improve residents' health.
The two leaders also reaffirmed cooperation in upgrading the Indian Ocean country’s infrastructure, such as port facilities in Colombo, in an attempt to bolster connectivity in the region.
The agreements are part of Japan’s efforts to promote its “free and open Indo-Pacific strategy” aimed at ensuring stability from East Asia to Africa through cooperation with nations that share values such as freedom of navigation and the rule of law.
The two leaders also agreed on the necessity of keeping “maximum pressure” on North Korea to prod it to abandon its nuclear weapons and missiles. Prime Minister Abe requested Sirisena's help in resolving the longstanding issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea as well.
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