The French Navy destroyer Provence arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal goodwill visit, the Sri Lanka Navy announced, as military ties with Sri Lanka grow.
Commanded by Captain Lionel Siegfried and manned by 160 sailors, the vessel is part of the French Carrier Strike Group deployed in the Indo-Pacific region under Clemenceau 25.
According to the French Embassy in Colombo, the four-day port call is intended to deepen maritime cooperation between France and Sri Lanka, a move that raises concerns given Sri Lanka’s troubling human rights record and its ongoing militarisation of the Tamil homeland. The visit comes at a time when Sri Lanka continues to expand its military ties with Western and regional powers, despite repeated calls for accountability over war crimes committed by its armed forces.
Provence’s visit follows similar engagements by the United States, India, and China, all of whom have bolstered military collaboration with Colombo.
During their stay, the crew is expected to visit cultural and tourist landmarks across the island. Meanwhile, the Tamil North-East remains one of the most militarised regions in the world, with Sri Lankan security forces continuing to occupy land, suppress memorialisation efforts, and harass activists and journalists.
The Provence is scheduled to depart Sri Lankan waters on 20 March.
