Admiral Steve Koehler, a 4-star U.S. Navy Admiral and Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, arrived in Sri Lanka on Thursday (10), marking the highest-level U.S. military visit to the country since 2021.
Upon his arrival, Admiral Koehler met with U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung. During his visit, he will reaffirm the strong partnership between the United States and Sri Lanka, promoting an enduring, resilient, free, and open Indo-Pacific.
Admiral Koehler is set to engage with senior Sri Lankan officials to address emerging security challenges in the Indian Ocean region, enhance collaboration on maritime domain awareness and disaster response, and reaffirm U.S. support in combating transnational threats. Discussions will also focus on expanding cooperation between U.S. and Sri Lankan forces.