New Delhi: Delegations from the founding members of the Colombo Security Conclave—India, Sri Lanka, Maldives—and Mauritius, its newest member, concluded the two-day Fifth National Security Adviser level meeting in the Maldives on Thursday.
Bangladesh and Seychelles sent their observers to the event.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the participants identified five key areas of cooperation to enhance and strengthen regional security.
These are maritime safety and security, countering terrorism and radicalization, combating trafficking and transnational organized crime, cyber security and protection of critical infrastructure and technology, and humanitarian help and disaster relief.
The member countries agreed on a road map for future cooperation and collaboration on these pillars of cooperation. The framework will make it easier to establish robust mechanisms for coordinated responses, capacity building, and information sharing among member states.
The conclave reaffirmed the members’ commitment to engaging in consistent joint efforts to achieve regional peace and security as maritime neighbors facing similar threats.
Those who attended the meeting included Ajit Doval (NSA, India), Mariya Ahmed Didi (Minister of Defence, the Maldives), General(Retd) Kamal Gunaratne (Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka), and Kumaresan Ilango (NSA, Mauritius).
(Venkatesh)