Colombo Security Conclave NSAs’ meet: Doval calls for better coordination to address shared maritime challenges

Doval made these proposals on the opening day of a two-day NSAs’ meet of the CSC that is being held in the Maldives.

The CSC, which was formed in 2011 as a trilateral maritime security grouping of India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, is expanding. It welcomed Mauritius as a fourth member at Wednesday’s meeting. Bangladesh and Seychelles attended as observers, and have been invited to join the group.

The Delhi-driven “minilateral” is being seen as India’s outreach to the Indian Ocean to underline regional co-operation and shared security objectives. In this way, the CSC hopes to restrict China’s influence in an area of strategic importance, and to reduce the Chinese footprint in the member countries, including the new and proposed additions.

Maldives defence minister Marya Didi said at the conference opening that the Russia-Ukraine conflict was a reminder “of the need for closer co-operation among regional partners to avoid conflict and ensure security and stability both inside and outside our borders”.

In his opening remarks, Doval said it was necessary to chart a “concrete roadmap” for the CSC with “a defined charter of objectives” towards “institutionalising” the co-operation between member countries.

The NSA said India was committed to working in “close co-operation with our maritime neighbours” to build capacity through training, supply of equipment, upgrading coastal security installations, and exchange of information for “unitedly” countering threats.

“Our national security is deeply intertwined with our collective security aspirations in this region. Our geographical proximity allows us to be first responders for each other in crisis situations. We have worked well together, in tackling narcotics trafficking, organised crimes and mitigating threats posed by (maritime) accidents,” Doval said, listing the MT New Diamond and X-press Pearl ship fires in Sri Lankan waters that the Indian Coast Guard helped douse.

Didi described the CSC as the “region’s 911”. “It was heartwarming to see our regional partners come to our aid,” Didi said, flagging climate change as an additional threat to her country’s national security.

Small island states are disproportionately at a disadvantage when it comes to climate change, she said. “More than 70% of all our critical infrastructure, and 50% of our population live within less than 100 metres of shoreline. 90% of our islands are reporting flooding during severe winters and 90% are experiencing erosion and shoreline degradation. Apart from the obvious social and economic impact, this has security implications as it stretches our security services as well,” Didi said.

This was the fifth meeting of the CSC NSAs. Last November, the Indian Navy, Maldives National Defence Force, and the Sri Lankan Navy conducted a two-day exercise in the Exclusive Economic Zones of the three countries in the southern Arabian Sea.