US to provide $300 million security funding to Indo-Pacific countries including Sri Lanka

by Abi
Aug 5, 2018

The US Secretary of State has announced plans to provide almost $300 million in security assistance to improve security relationships across the Indo-Pacific region, which will include funding to cover projects in Sri Lanka.

Announcing the funding plans at the ASEAN Regional Forum on Saturday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the funding will cover projects in maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief assistance, peacekeeping operations and countering transnational crime.

This assistance includes $290.5 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF).

Introducing a “Bay of Bengal initiative”, the State Department said the US will work with partners in the Bay of Bengal, including Sri Lanka to enhance the capacity of civilian and military maritime actors in the Indian Ocean Region to improve the target areas of detection, information-sharing, and response to emerging threats.

See more here.

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