SECY DEFENCE, CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF & SERVICE CHIEFS AT AIRPORT BID GOODBYE TO CHINESE DEFENCE MINISTER

Secretary to Ministry of Defence General Kamal Gunaratne (Retd), together with the Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army, General Shavendra Silva, Navy Commander, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne and Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana, Chinese Ambassador in Sri Lanka His Excellency Qi Zhenhong, Chinese Embassy Officials and Senior Tri service Military Officers were at the Colombo International Airport this morning (29) to bid goodbye to General Wei Fenghe, Chinese State Councillor and Defence Minister of People 's Republic of China who was in Sri Lanka on a two-day official visit.

During his stay in Sri Lanka, he had meetings with HE the President, Prime Minister and the Secretary Defence. At the meeting with the Sri Lankan delegation, comprising the Secretary Defence, Secretary to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army, Navy and Air Force Commanders, the visting Chinese Defence Minister, General Fenghe signed a bilateral Military Assistance Protocol between two countries and launched the official website of the Chinese National Defence University Alumni Association of Sri Lanka at the invitation of the Defence Secretary and the Director General of Sri Lanka Customs and the Chairman and founding member of the Alumni Association Major General Vijitha Ravipriya (Retd).

The Chinese delegation included several top level Chinese military officers and civil officials. General Kamal Gunarathne (Retd) expressed his gratitude to the Chinese Defence Minister for the continuing cooperation he has always extended to Sri Lanka before bidding goodbye.