Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met in Tokyo on Monday and agreed that Japan will provide about 10 surveillance drones, worth about ¥500 million ($3.36 million), to the South Asian nation's navy.
This will be Japan's first provision of defense equipment to Sri Lanka under its official security assistance program.
"The stability and development of Sri Lanka, which is located at a strategic point in the Indian Ocean, is extremely important," Ishiba said at a joint news conference after the meeting.
In response, the president voiced his commitment to creating a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region.
The two governments also signed a plan to improve the productivity of small dairy farmers, as part of efforts to stabilize the political situation in Sri Lanka. Japan will provide ¥463 million in grant aid for equipment to ferment and dry grass.
The Japanese government also proposed a road map to promote Sri Lanka's participation in global supply chains, which the president welcomed.
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