India, Maldives, Mauritius and Sri Lanka have signed the Charter and an MoU for the establishment of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) Secretariat in Colombo to address security and stability challenges in the Indian Ocean Region. The signing ceremony was hosted in Colombo by the Government of Sri Lanka.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the representatives of the Maldives, Mauritius and Sri Lanka signed the documents yesterday on behalf of the respective Member States.
Speaking on the occasion, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval emphasized the importance of the Colombo Security Conclave in addressing traditional, non-traditional, and emerging hybrid security challenges. He highlighted the need for sustained regional cooperation across various security pillars.
The CSC’s core objective is to promote regional security by addressing transnational threats and challenges of common concern to the Member States. There are five pillars of cooperation under the CSC namely Maritime Safety and Security; Countering Terrorism and Radicalisation; Combating Trafficking and Transnational Organised Crime; Cyber Security and Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Technology; and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.
During his Sri Lanka visit, Mr. Doval met President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, and national security advisers of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. He also interacted with Sri Lanka’s Leader of the Opposition and Leader of Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Sajith Premadasa, Member of Parliament and Leader of National People’s Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake, as well as political leaders and representatives from various political parties, including those from the North, East, and upcountry regions.
