Colombo | Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday for a three-day visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation in defence and regional maritime security.

"Looking forward to a productive engagement with the leadership of Sri Lanka during the visit," Singh said ahead of his visit to the island nation.

He will also be interacting with the Indian diaspora.

"Besides our longstanding partnership as well as deep historical and civilisational ties, Sri Lanka is one of our most important partners under the Neighbourhood First and MAHASAGAR initiatives," he added.

Singh was received at the Bandaranaike International Airport by Sri Lanka's Deputy Minister of Defence Maj Gen (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha, the Ministry of Defence said.

He received a warm and traditional welcome from the Sri Lankan side, reflecting the close and enduring ties between India and Sri Lanka, it added.

According to the ministry, Singh is leading a high-level delegation comprising senior officials from the ministries of Defence and External Affairs.

This is the first visit by an Indian Defence Minister to Sri Lanka in 38 years.

Coinciding with his visit, the Indian Navy's INS Udaygiri, an advanced indigenous stealth guided-missile frigate, arrived at the Colombo port on Tuesday.

The frigate was received in accordance with naval traditions, the Sri Lanka Navy said.

Sri Lanka Navy personnel will also visit the frigate for capability familiarisation, knowledge sharing and onboard training, it said.

The crew of INS Udaygiri will participate in goodwill events with the Sri Lanka Navy and visit tourist and cultural sites.