Colombo, Aug 31: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the representatives of the Maldives, Mauritius and Sri Lanka on Friday signed the Charter and an MoU for the establishment of the Colombo Security Conclave Secretariat here to promote regional security by addressing transnational threats and challenges of common concern to the member states.
The Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) brings together National Security Advisors (NSA) and Deputy NSAs from India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Mauritius.
It deals with maritime security, counter-terrorism and cyber security with India bringing to the fore its own strategic concerns in the Indian Ocean and promotes regional security by addressing transnational threats and challenges of common concern to the Member States.
“Pursuant to the discussions at the 6th NSA level meeting of CSC held in December 2023 in Mauritius, the Charter & Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the CSC Secretariat were signed in Colombo on August 30, 2024 by India, Maldives, Mauritius and Sri Lanka”, the Indian High Commission here said.
“Doval highlighted the significance of the Founding Documents to further bolster CSC’s pivotal role in ensuring regional security and stability.
“Emphasising the role of CSC in ensuring sustained engagement across diverse pillars of cooperation, he (Doval) stressed the importance of collective efforts in addressing traditional, non-traditional, and emerging hybrid challenges in the Indian Ocean Region,” the High Commission added.
“NSA Ajit Doval KC joined reps from Maldives, Mauritius & Sri Lanka in signing the Charter & MoU for the establishment of Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) Secretariat today. A key platform to enhance regional security cooperation, the signing marks a milestone in the CSC roadmap,” the Indian High Commission said later in a post on X along with photos from the signing ceremony.
A Colombo Security Conclave joint press release said the Member States of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) “signed the Charter and the MoU for the Establishment of the CSC Secretariat on 30 August 2024.”
The Signing Ceremony was hosted in Colombo by the Government of Sri Lanka, it said. Doval; Ibrahim Lt Col (Retd) Latheef, DC, NSA of Maldives; Haymandoyal Dillum, High Commissioner of the Republic of Mauritius to Sri Lanka, and Sagala Ratnayake, National Security Advisor to the President of Sri Lanka, signed the documents on behalf of the respective Member States.
The event concluded with a discussion among heads of delegation on the next steps and the future activities of the Conclave.
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, the joint press release said.
The Colombo Security Conclave, a regional initiative, began as a trilateral effort among India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. It has since expanded to include Mauritius and Bangladesh as members, and the Seychelles as an observer. (PTI)
