New Delhi: The 7th National Security Advisor (NSA) level meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) was held in New Delhi on Thursday, where the member states reiterated their commitment to the vision and objectives of CSC, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced.
NSA Ajit Doval hosted his counterparts from member states, including the Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The Seychelles participated as an Observer State, while Malaysia attended as a Guest.
At the meeting, the first Secretary General, appointed by India, presented a comprehensive review to the CSC Member States on the decisions taken at the 6th NSA level meeting in Mauritius on December 7-8, 2023, and activities undertaken since then under the five pillars of cooperation, 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 CSC Member States also discussed ways of enhancing cooperation under identified pillars, including through training and capacity building. The members welcomed the decision of Seychelles to accede to the CSC as a full member.
The delegations from member States were led by Ibrahim Latheef, National Security Advisor, Maldives; Rahul Rasgotra, National Security Advisor, Mauritius; Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, Secretary, Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence; and Khalil-ur-Rehman, National Security Advisor of Bangladesh.
Additionally, the delegation from the Seychelles was led by Major General Michael Rosette, Chief of Seychelles Defence Forces. Malaysia participated as a Guest for the first time and was represented by Badrul Shah Mohd Idris, Deputy Director General of the Malaysian National Security Council.
According to the MEA, the CSC was formed to promote closer cooperation between member States on vital matters of security and to strengthen partnerships for enhancing regional security in the Indian Ocean Region.
The signing ceremony for the Founding Documents of the CSC was held in Sri Lanka in August 2024.
The MEA mentioned that, over the past years, India also hosted several events, including the First CSC Oceanographers and Hydrographers Conference, where member and observer states shared knowledge and best practices relating to oceanography and hydrography and discussed collaborative ways to address the regional challenges related to the Oceans.
(IANS)
