Ajit Kumar Doval, National Security Adviser (NSA) to the Prime Minister (PM) of India, visited Colombo, Sri Lanka from 29-30 August 2024, for the signing of the Founding Documents of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC), a regional security grouping.
Highlights of the Visit:
i.Doval met with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and PM Dinesh Gunawardena.
ii.He met with his counterparts from CSC member countries and interacted with Sri Lankan political leaders and representatives from various regions.
iii.During the visit, India committed to developing multiple power projects in Sri Lanka across Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and renewable energy initiatives.
iv.Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, handed over the 1st payment for India-backed hybrid energy projects in the Delft, Nainativu, and Analaitivu islands off the Jaffna peninsula, Sri Lanka.
v.Adani Green Energy has committed over USD 440 million for a wind power project in northern Sri Lanka.
Colombo Security Conclave (CSC):
The Colombo Security Conclave aims to address traditional, non-traditional, and emerging hybrid security challenges and has worked on capacity building in sectors such as Counter-Terrorism (CT), police, law enforcement, and cyber-security.
i.CSC is a regional security initiative established in 2020 as a trilateral effort among India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.
ii.It has expanded to include Mauritius and Bangladesh as members, with Seychelles as an Observer State.
- Mauritius joined the conclave at the 5th meeting of the grouping in Male (the Maldives) in 2022.
- In 2024, Bangladesh was officially welcomed as the 5th member State of the CSC at the 8th Deputy National Security Adviser (DNSA) level meeting of the CSC, hosted virtually by Mauritius.
Note: The next meeting of security chiefs will be held in India later in 2024.
India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius & Maldives Sign Charter and MoU for Establishment of CSC Secretariat
On 30th August 2024, India, the Maldives, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka signed a Charter and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the CSC Secretariat in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- The Signing Ceremony was hosted in Colombo by the Government of Sri Lanka.
- The agreement aims to enhance the grouping’s role in addressing regional security and stability challenges in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Note: Bangladesh, which is also a member, skipped participation but backed the initiative.
Key Signatories: Ajit Kumar Doval, NSA to the PM of India, Sagala Ratnayaka, the NSA to the President of Sri Lanka, Ibrahim Latheef, the NSA of the Maldives, and Haymandoyal Dillum, the High Commissioner of Mauritius to Sri Lanka, signed the document on behalf of the respective Member States.
Objective: The core objective of the CSC is to promote regional security by addressing transnational threats and challenges of common concern to the Member States.
Pillars: There are 5 pillars of cooperation under the CSC:
- Maritime Safety and Security (MSS);
- Countering Terrorism and Radicalisation;
- Combating Trafficking and Transnational Organised Crime (TOC);
- Cyber Security and Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Technology; and
- Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
Recent Related News:
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister (PM) of India, was on a two-day visit to Russia from July 8 to 9, 2024, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to participate in the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit, held in Moscow, Russia.
About Sri Lanka:
Prime Minister (PM)- Dinesh Gunawardena
Currency– Sri Lankan Rupee
Capital– Sri Jayawardhapura Kotte (legislative capital) & Colombo (executive and judicial capital)
