By Prensa Latina
Colombo : India and Sri Lanka agreed to strengthen military ties in a joint effort to fight the separatist group Tamil Eelam Liberation Tigers (TLET), the LankaNews information agency reported.
The Indian Army chief, general Deepak Kapoor, and the commander of Sri Lanka armed forces, lieutenant general Sarta Fonseca, agreed to strengthen links in the current operations against the Tamil Tigers, noted the source, which echoed a Defense Ministry’s note.
The Sri Lankan authority pointed out that over 30 countries considered terrorist the group that has been fighting since 25 years ago for a Tamil separate state in Sri Lanka north and east.
The government successfully managed to remove separatist rebels from the Eastern Province so far in 2007 and presently registers substantial advances of the military front in the northern region.
Colombo has been interested in more cooperation of India to fight TLET while the Indian government has increased police raids against the group’s cells in Tamil Nadu southern state and supporters.
The Minister of Defense reported, without giving detail over date and place of the meeting, that Kapoor and Fonseka have analyzed the two countries’ achievements and loses in the struggle against TLET, including recent operations.
The two military leaders affirmed that political relations between the two countries are going on a right track and that it is the right moment to strengthen their armed forces’ ties.