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Sri Lanka to benefit from ARF’s security assistance
View(s):The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) yesterday announced it would make available nearly $300 million to improve security relationships across the Indo-Pacific region under which Sri Lanka too will benefit. The ARF draws together 27 members including Sri Lanka.
This assistance will include $290.5 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to strengthen maritime security, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HA/DR), and peacekeeping capabilities, and $8.5 million in International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INCLE) funds to counter transnational crime, a factsheet from the US Embassy said.
The security assistance funding will cover projects in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, the Pacific Islands, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam among others and it will cover areas of Maritime Security, Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HA/DR) Assistance, Peacekeeping Operations, and Countering Transnational Crime.
The ARF is a key forum for security dialogue in Asia, complementing the various bilateral alliances and dialogues. It provides a setting in which members can discuss current regional security issues and develop cooperative measures to enhance peace and security in the region.