French Ambassador-led delegation visits Eastern Naval Command

A delegation led by French Ambassador to Sri Lanka H.E. Rémi Lambert visited the Eastern Naval Command Headquarters and the Naval and Maritime Academy on 28 September 2026,

The visit coincided with the ongoing Regional Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) Course with a Focus on Searching Hidden Compartments. The course is being jointly conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Regional Centre for Maritime Studies at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University.

During the visit, the delegation met with the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Navy and Commander Eastern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Buddhika Liyanagamage, and Commandant Naval & Maritime Academy, Commodore Nalinda Dissanayake. They held discussions focused on several matters of mutual interest. The delegation members later visited the training programme being conducted at the Training School of the Special Boat Squadron Headquarters. They also observed practical exercises conducted as part of the course.

Representatives from the United States Embassy in Sri Lanka, UNODC, the Regional Centre for Maritime Studies and the French Customs Department also observed the training session. Sri Lanka Navy personnel attending the occasion included Director Regional Centre for Maritime Studies at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Captain Janaka Gunawardena, Commandant Special Boat Squadron Training School, Captain Dharmasiri Herath and Commanding Officer Special Boat Squadron, Commander Lakmal Weerakkody.