New Delhi [India], November 19 : National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is set to host his counterparts from the member states of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) in the national capital on Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) shared in an official statement.
As per the MEA, Ajit Doval will host his counterparts from Member States, including the Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Seychelles will be participating as an Observer State, and Malaysia has been invited as a Guest.
The 6th Meeting of the NSAs of CSC was held in December 2023 in Mauritius, and Member States met again during the Signing Ceremony for the Founding Documents of CSC in Sri Lanka in August 2024. The Deputy National Security Advisers (DNSAs) of CSC countries have also been meeting regularly. The last meeting of DNSAs was held virtually in July 2024, MEA said.
The Colombo Security Conclave was formed to promote closer cooperation among Member States on vital security matters and to strengthen partnerships to enhance regional security in the Indian Ocean region. In keeping with this vision and objective, the 7th Meeting of the National Security Advisors will be an opportunity for the participants to review the activities under the different pillars of cooperation, namely- Maritime Safety and Security; Countering Terrorism and Radicalization; Combating Transnational Organized Crime; Cyber Security and Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, and discuss the Roadmap and Action Plan for 2026.
In a previous statement, the MEA had highlighted that the core objective of the Colombo Security Conclave is to promote regional security by addressing transnational threats and challenges of common concern to the Member States.
"There are five pillars of cooperation under the CSC, 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", it said.