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ET: Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa visit from February 7-11 will seek to revive India-Sri Lanka-Maldives NSA level dialogue and trilateral maritime security coop in Indian Ocean Region amid growing Chinese interests.
A pact to establish air links could also be established between Sanchi in MP and Sri Lanka for Buddhist pilgrims from the island nation, officials told ET. Meanwhile keeping an eye on the neighbourhood, India is also expected to host the President of Myanmar, another Buddhist majority nation, also in February.
Maldives, besides Sri Lanka is also keen to revive NSA-level dialogue in the backdrop of revival and expansion of defence ties with India. Growing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean Region and the PLA Navy’s efforts to forge partnerships in the region is being closely monitored by Delhi, which has long positioned itself as the net security provider in the region.
India-Maldives-Sri Lanka are planning to revive tri-nation NSA-level security dialogue, five years after it was put on hold due to political developments in Maldives. Mauritius and Seychelles might also be included in this dialogue at a later stage as was originally envisaged. Growing terror network in Indian Ocean Region and maritime security that enables India to maintain its role as net-security provider in the region will top agenda of the tri-nation NSA dialogue and expanded format of the dialogue, according to persons familiar with the issue.
The Rajapaksa brothers seek wider counter-terror partnership with India to combat international terror, according to officials.
Three NSA-level meetings on maritime trilateral cooperation were held in Male (2011), in Colombo (2013) and Delhi (2014). At the meet hosted by Delhi Mauritius and Seychelles were present as Guest countries. Later Mauritius was unwilling to join any NSA dialogue under Mahinda Rajapaksa Presidency due to alleged human rights abuses.
At the second meeting in Colombo in July 2013, the three countries agreed on a roadmap for cooperation in maritime security, comprising the three categories of activities: Initiatives to enhance Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) through access to systems run under the aegis of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), such as Long Range Identification and Tracking services and sharing of Automatic Identification System data; Training and capacity building initiatives in areas of MDA, Search and Rescue, and Oil Pollution Response; and Joint activities including trilateral exercises, maintaining lines of communication on illegal maritime activities, formulation of marine oil pollution response contingency plans and cooperation in legal and policy issues related to piracy.
During the third NSA-Level meeting in Delhi, the NSA reviewed and expressed satisfaction over the progress in the implementation of various activities in the identified areas. They also discussed new areas of cooperation including hydrography; training in Visit, Board, Search and Seizure Operations; training on board Indian Sail Training Ships; exchanges between think tanks; and joint participation in adventure activities.
