M.M. Naravane, the army chief, has made a phone call to the Rajapaksas in Sri Lanka.

General Manoj Mukund Naravane, the Indian Army's Chief of Army Staff (COAS), met with Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday as part of his four-day tour to the island nation.

The visit by India's top military officer comes just a week after Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla's visit to Sri Lanka, which was primarily focused on speeding up bilateral development and connectivity initiatives.

India's strategic concerns are raised on a regular basis in Sri Lanka, whose leaders have told New Delhi that no conduct endangering the country's security will be tolerated by Colombo.

General Naravane told President Gotabaya that India "very expects" neighboring countries' stability for regional security, according to a statement from the President's office. "Reminiscing on his military training and experiences in India, the President praised the leadership capabilities obtained by Sri Lankan military personnel as a result of the military training they receive in India," according to the press release.

Nearly 1,000 Sri Lankan Army officers attend military training in India each year. In addition, at the request of Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, General Shavendra Silva, a specifically developed training course for 50 Army commanders will be delivered "in the near future," according to the Presidential Media Division.

The visit of the Indian Army Chief coincides with the ongoing ‘Mitra Shakti' military exercise between the Indian and Sri Lankan militaries, which is reported to be one of the largest bilateral military exercises in the area. "Areas of mutual interest and prospects for strengthening current bilateral defense cooperation will be reviewed during the visit."

General Naravane met with Prime Minister Rajapaksa, who "expressed his gratitude for the assistance offered by the Indian Armed Forces to Sri Lanka over the years, particularly in the area of training," according to a statement from the Prime Minister's office. According to the statement, the two delegations discussed a number of topics of common interest, including "regional concerns about fundamentalism and terrorism, as well as the significance of caring for veterans after their service to the country."