Colombo, Aug 17 : Sri Lanka has thanked India for helping to protect the island nation’s airspace and the sea including its exclusive economic zone through maritime and coastal surveillance operations.

The gratitude towards India came on Wednesday from Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s senior Advisor on National Security Sagala Ratnayaka when he was accepting a successor Indian Navy Dornier aircraft handed over to the Sri Lanka Air Force. 

The Donier-228 maritime surveillance aircraft will replace the one which was handed over exactly a year ago to the island nation by the Indian government.