VICTORIA: Colombo Security Conclave – NSAs of India, Sri Lanka and Maldives was recently concluded

VICTORIA: Delegations of the founding members of Colombo Security Conclave; Maldives, India and Sri Lanka, and the newest member of the Conclave, Mauritius, successfully concluded the 5th National Security Adviser level meeting held on 09 – 10 March 2022 in Maldives. Delegations from Bangladesh and Seychelles participated as Observers.

Their Excellencies, Mariya Ahmed Didi, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Maldives; Mr. Ajit Doval, KC, National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of Republic of India; General Kamal Gunaratne (Retd.), Secretary to the Ministry of Defence of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka; and Mr. Kumaresan Ilango, National Security Adviser to the Republic of Mauritius, identified key areas of cooperation to enhance and strengthen regional security in the following five pillars:

· Maritime Safety and Security
· Countering Terrorism and Radicalisation
· Combating Trafficking and Transnational Organised Crime
· Cyber Security, Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Technology
· Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief

The Member states agreed upon a roadmap for further cooperation and collaboration on these pillars of cooperation. The roadmap will facilitate robust mechanisms for coordinated responses capacity building and strengthening information flow between member states.

Delegation from Bangladesh was led by H.E. Tarique Ahmed Siddique, Defence and Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Seychelles was represented by H.E. Simon Archange Dine, Chief of Staff of Seychelles Defence Forces.

As maritime neighbors, facing similar threats, the Conclave reaffirmed their commitment to engage in consistent joint efforts to achieving regional peace and security.