Colombo, Jan 13 (IANS) Sri Lanka will reduce the size of the army to 135,000 by 2024 from the current approved number of 200,783, a state minister said here on Friday.The number will be further reduced to 100,000 by 2030, State Minister of Defence Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon said in a press release.Tennakoon said that the strength of the military and sustainable economic development are two sides of a coin, reports Xinhua news agency.He said that military spending indirectly stimulates and opens avenues for economic growth by way of assuring national and human security.The government has come up with a strategic blueprint to establish a technically and tactically sound and well-balanced defence force by the year 2030 to meet future security challenges on a par with the national security needs of the country, he said.
--IANS ksk/
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