SL hosts maritime security talks with India and Maldives

The 4th National Security Adviser (NSA) Level Trilateral Meeting on Maritime Security Cooperation between India, Maldives and Sri Lanka kicked off yesterday in Colombo.

On the invitation of Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne, India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Maldivian Defence Minister Mariya Didi lead senior level delegations to attend the Trilateral Meeting, while delegations from Bangladesh, Mauritius and Seychelles are expected to participate as Observers.

The high-level engagement, that covers a wide range of subjects, is designed to initiate collective action on maritime security, including maritime domain awareness, legal regimes, training, search and rescue, maritime pollution response, information sharing, curbing piracy, drugs, arms and contraband trafficking in the Indian Ocean Region.

The two-day meeting was convened this year after six years since the last meeting in New Delhi in 2014, preceded by two previous forums in Sri Lanka and Maldives respectively. The Heads of Delegation are also scheduled to conduct bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the trilateral meeting.