Dec 09, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe says today’s warfare is not confrontational between armies, but it is economic, cultural and technological.
Addressing a graduation ceremony of the Defense Services Command and Staff College in Colombo, President Wickremesinghe said the country cannot be weak economically and being a weak country does not mean it is weak militarily.
“You cannot be weak economically. So this is why I have set about these new reforms which will make us economically strong by 2050,” the President said.
For this, he said that regional cooperation is vital for stability in the Indian Ocean region.
The Graduation Ceremony of the Defense Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) Course No 16 was held at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre yesterday (08th December 2022).
President Ranil Wickremesinghe graced the occasion as the Chief Guest while Defense Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne (Retired), Chief of Defense Staff General Shavendra Silva, Tri-Forces Commanders and the IGP attended the ceremony as Guests of Honor.
The DSCSC Course No 16 commenced in January this year and concluded in December. A total of 149 undergraduates, including 22 foreigners from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and Zambia graduated on this occasion. Among them, 76 Army, 26 Navy and 25 Air Force officers received the ‘passed staff college’ (psc) graduation.
The Defense Services Command and Staff College at Sapugaskanda is the highest seat of military learning for middle-grade officers of the Tri Forces and was established to develop the professional knowledge and understanding of selected Student Officers both in Command and on the Staff where all military doctrinal and strategic level planning and teachings were brought under one roof, as practiced by many other Armed Forces of the world.
Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff of the President Sagala Ratnayake, Defense Ministry Secretary, General Kamal Gunaratne (Retired), Chief of Defense Staff General Shavendra Silva, Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne, Army Commander Lt. Gen. Vikum Liyanage, Vice Chancellor General Sir John Kotelawala Defense University Major General Milinda Peiris, Security Service Command and Staff College Commandant Major General BKGML Rodrigo, Inspector General of Police C.D. Wickramaratne and others participated in this event.