Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport in Sri Lanka today, for a four-day official visit to the island nation. The visit comes at the invitation of Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana, Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, and symbolizes the strong relations and close cooperation between the two countries. Sri Lanka has been accorded the status of 'Priority One' partner by India.<br />''<br />''During his visit, the Indian Air Chief Marshal will make courtesy calls on Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, and hold meetings with senior officials.<br />''<br />''Mr Chaudhari will lay the foundation stone for the India-Sri Lanka Friendship Auditorium at the Sri Lanka Air Force Academy, Trincomalee, which is being built with a grant of LKR 250 Million from the Government of India. He will also present AN-32 propellers to ensure high operational readiness of the aircraft held by the Sri Lanka Air Force, as part of India's commitment towards capacity building of Sri Lanka's Armed Forces.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">Mr Chaudhari will interact with students at the National Defence College, Sri Lanka, and the Air Force Academy, China Bay and gift them with training aids. The visit will facilitate discussions on common security challenges and enhancing capacity and capability-building initiatives towards ensuring Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR), as propounded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</span><br />