NSA Ajit Doval arrives in Sri Lanka to attend trilateral maritime dialogue
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Doval and Maldivian defence minister Maria Didi are expected to lead their respective delegations and there will be observers from Bangladesh, Mauritius and Seychelles.
Ajit Doval, India's National Security Advisor, arrived in Colombo on Friday for trilateral maritime dialogue among India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Sri Lanka will host the fourth national security advisor trilateral meeting on maritime security cooperation with India and Maldives on Friday and Saturday.
"NSA Ajit Doval arrived in Colombo for trilateral India-Sri Lanka-Maldives consultations on maritime and security cooperation. He was accorded a warm welcome by Army Commander Lt Gen @SilvaShavendra," the Indian Embassy in Colombo tweeted.
NSA Ajit Doval arrived in Colombo for trilateral India-Sri Lanka-Maldives consultations on maritime and security cooperation. He was accorded a warm welcome by Army Commander Lt Gen @SilvaShavendra #lka @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/ckZOK5c0IF
— India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL) November 27, 2020
The meeting is to take place after six years - the last meeting was held in New Delhi in 2014.
This will be the first NSA level meeting on Trilateral Maritime Security Cooperation. Besides Doval, Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Major General (Retd). Kamal Gunaratne and Maldives Defence Minister Mariya Didi will participate in the meeting.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the NSA-level trilateral meeting has served as an effective platform for cooperation among Indian Ocean countries. The mechanism is being revived after six years as earlier meetings were held in 2011 in the Maldives, in 2013 in Sri Lanka, and in 2014 in India.