The German frigate Bayern arrived in Sri Lanka on Saturday (15) and will be docked at Colombo Port till tomorrow (18). The ship, with around 200 sailors on board and on a patrol and training mission in the Indo-Pacific, is making a port call in Colombo as part of its six-month long deployment in the region.
The frigate embarked on this journey in August 2021 and will return to Germany end of February 2022.
The deployment of the Bayern relates to the German Government’s ‘Policy Guidelines for the Indo-Pacific’ as well as to the European Union’s ‘Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific’.
Both papers provide the policy framework for affirming Germany’s and the EU’s resolve to engage more actively in the region. The guidelines and strategies lay out how Germany and the EU intend to approach the countries of the region in the future.
Germany offers its support as competent cooperation partner in a vast array of issues, among them security policy, trade and investment, climate protection, connectivity, digital transformation and the rule of law.
Commenting on the Bayern’s visit to Sri Lanka, German Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Holger Seubert said: “The fact that a German frigate drops anchor at Colombo Port testifies the outstandingly high quality of Germany’s bilateral relations with Sri Lanka. The visit gives expression to Germany’s determination to broaden its footprint in the Indo-Pacific region. Germany with its ‘Policy Guidelines for the Indo-Pacific’ as well as the EU with its ‘European Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific’ follow an inclusive and rules-based approach that relies on consultation, not confrontation. I contentedly take note that Sri Lanka shares our desire to preserve the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific, including the freedom of navigation.”
Prior to the stopover in Sri Lanka, the Bayern was actively involved in monitoring UN sanctions against North Korea and in the EU’s anti-piracy mission Atalanta. The mission also serves as an opportunity to carry out joint exercises at sea with the Sri Lankan Navy for the very first time.
All activities carried out in connection with the mission will strictly adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines.
