UK to close down Defense Section in Colombo office

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 June 2008, 10:17 GMT]
The Defense Section of the British High Commission in Colombo is to be closed down soon. The resident Defense Advisor will be removed from Colombo, media reports said quoting a spokesman of the British High Commission in Colombo.

The British High Commission in Colombo announced that it would continue its bilateral defense relationship with Sri Lanka without residential Defense representation in Colombo, according to media reports.

British High Commission spokesman further said it has decided to remove the resident Defense Advisor from Colombo that it "looked carefully at our global representation and where we could continue our bilateral defense relationship without residential Defense representation".

He also said that the British Defense Ministry has had to "prioritize its resources in the face of the increased costs of Defense Attaché network together with other financial pressures" The spokesman added that its Defense relationship with Sri Lanka will not be covered from the British High Commission in New Delhi.

"The Ministry of Defense in London will continue to monitor developments in Sri Lanka, and if the situation requires, may deploy individuals for short terms," he added, according to media reports.