COLOMBO -- Japan and Sri Lanka are celebrating 65 years of diplomatic relations this year, but their bilateral ties have rarely seemed more important -- especially in relation to maritime security in the Indian Ocean.
The two countries launched a dialogue on maritime security and other oceanic issues in January, following a 1.83 billion yen ($16.3 million) aid package from Japan in June 2016 designed to boost Sri Lanka's maritime security and crime-fighting capacity.
