Sri Lanka and the United States have explored new avenues to strengthen practical cooperation in disaster response, infrastructure resilience and defence engagement during bilateral discussions held in Canada.

The Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) held discussions with Chief of the National Guard Bureau of the United States, General Steven Nordhaus, focusing on areas of cooperation that could strengthen Sri Lanka’s resilience and emergency response capabilities.

Particular attention was given to enhancing disaster response preparedness through the provision and development of specialised equipment and capabilities for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The Defence Secretary also invited the United States to further expand bilateral engagement and maintain regular dialogue between the two countries to identify additional areas of mutual interest and strengthen practical cooperation.

The discussions reflected the shared interest of both countries in developing capabilities for disaster preparedness, humanitarian response and institutional resilience, while broadening the scope of bilateral defence engagement, the Ministry added further.