Last year, the 4th National Security Advisor (NSA) Level Meeting on Maritime Security Cooperation between Maldives, Sri Lanka and India had been held at Colombo on 28th November. The Maldivian side had been led by Ms. UzaMariya Ahmed Didi, Minister of Defence and National Security; the Sri Lankan side by then Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne, Secretary, Ministry of Defence; and the Indian side by Shri AjitDoval, National Security Advisor. Underlining the importance of timely implementation of decisions, the participants had agreed that the Deputy NSA level Working Group can meet to implement the technical and operational details of agreed decisions. It was also agreed to rename the forum as “Colombo Security Conclave” (CSC).
Accordingly, the 5th Deputy National Security Advisor (DNSA) Level meeting, of ‘Colombo Security Conclave’, was hosted virtually on 04th August 2021 by Sri Lanka at the Army Headquarters under the Chairmanship of General Shavendra Silva, the Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army and Head of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), together with an expert senior delegation representing Sri Lanka and representatives of Ministry of Defence and Foreign Ministry.
Forum was co-chaired virtually by Heads of delegations of member countries namely Shri Pankaj Saran, Deputy NSA (Strategic Affairs), National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) of India and MsAishathNooshinWaheed, Secretary, National Security Advisor’s Office, the President’s Office of Maldives.
In addition, Lieutenant General WakerUzZaman, SGP, psc, Principal Staff Officer of Armed Forces Division of Bangladesh Army; MrsPusmawteeSohun, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office (Defence and Home Affairs Division) of Mauritius and Colonel Michael Rosette, Chief of Defence Forces, Seychelles People’s Defence Forces, too, contributed to the CSC forum as Observercountries.
During this year’s Conclave, the delegates discussed matters on maritime Security, Radicalization, Transnational Crime, Counter Terrorism, Joint Training and Cyber Security. Views and experiences, that could further enhance trilateral cooperation for the betterment of the region and trilateral joint operations, were shared throughout the Sessions, all the member countries recognizing that neither the security issues nor the solutions are exclusive to one country, and all need to work together to achieve a cohesive and effective security cooperation that transcends borders.