Sri Lanka Defence Secretary attends Indo-Pacific security conference in Canada

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), represented the nation at the 28th Annual Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) Conference held in Victoria, Canada, from August 31 to September 2, 2026.

The conference, themed ‘Strengthening Collective Security: Navigating Challenges in a Dynamic Indo-Pacific Landscape’, was co-hosted by Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff General Jennie Carignan and Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Samuel J. Paparo. Military heads from approximately 30 countries gathered to discuss regional security, emerging threats, and cooperative defence frameworks.

During the event, Thuyacontha participated in multilateral discussions regarding changing security conditions and the necessity of partner cooperation. On the sidelines, he conducted bilateral meetings with senior officials to explore strengthening defence ties in areas such as maritime security, cybersecurity, military training, capacity building, and disaster preparedness.