4 th January Chennai: The formal keel-laying ceremony of the 4000 tonne capacity
floating dock being built for the Sri Lankan Navy with the help of India was held on
Wednesday.
The ceremony was held at Dempo Shipbuilding and Engineering Pvt. Ltd. (DSEPL),
Goa. India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay along with senior officials
of the Sri Lankan Navy and members of the Joint Monitoring Committee of the
Floating Dock also joined the program through virtual medium.
The Indian High Commission in Colombo tweeted, “The Keel laying ceremony of
4000T Floating Dock built by @goashipyardltd for @srilanka_navy was held
yesterday at Dempo Shipyard Goa. High Commissioner and VAdm Priyantha Perera
Commander of Sri Lankan Navy participated virtually.”
Speaking on the occasion, High Commissioner Baglay highlighted that this project
symbolizes the enduring bond of cooperation, harmony and friendship between India
and Sri Lanka. He said, “We are committed to the capacity building and continuous
development of the Sri Lanka Defence Forces towards realizing India’s vision of
‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine and ‘Neighbourhood
First’ policy.”
Bagley emphasized that the project to provide floating docks to the Sri Lankan Navy
has further reinforced the strong ties between the navies of the two countries. He
noted that the floating dock will cater to all the maintenance needs of the Sri Lankan
Navy and enhance its maritime security in the region. He thanked all the
stakeholders for their contribution to the project and wished for its timely completion.
This floating dock is capable of docking ships of up to 115 meters in length and this
project is a testament to the growing maritime cooperation between the two South
Asian neighbours.