Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Sampath Thuyacontha, represented the country at the 28th Annual Indo‑Pacific Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) Conference, held in Victoria, Canada, from August 31 to September 2, 2026.
The Defence Secretary joined multilateral discussions on key regional and international security concerns, contributing insights and presenting Sri Lanka’s perspectives on evolving security dynamics, emerging challenges, and the importance of strengthening cooperation among Indo‑Pacific partners.
The conference was co‑hosted by Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff, General Jennie Carignan, and Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, Commander of the United States Indo‑Pacific Command. This year’s theme was “Strengthening Collective Security: Navigating Challenges in a Dynamic Indo‑Pacific Landscape.”
Over three days, defence and military chiefs from around 30 countries exchanged views on collective security and regional cooperation.
On the sidelines, Defence Secretary Thuyacontha held a series of bilateral meetings with senior defence officials and heads of defence from several participating nations.
These engagements provided opportunities to discuss matters of mutual interest and explore avenues for enhancing bilateral defence cooperation, particularly in military training, capacity building, maritime security, cybersecurity, disaster preparedness, and professional military exchanges. (Newswire)
