India, Sri Lanka agree to strengthen co-operation in addressing maritime issues

New Delhi, August 21: The Indian Coast Guard held a High-Level Meeting (HLM) with the Sri Lanka Coast Guard at Coast Guard Headquarters on Wednesday. The meeting took place under the provisions of the MoU signed between the two sides for the establishment of a collaborative relationship to combat transnational illegal activities at sea and develop regional co-operation. During the meeting, both sides agreed to strengthen co-operation in addressing a spectrum of maritime issues concerning safety and security.

 

The Indian side was led by Director General, Coast Guard K Natarajan, while the Sri Lankan delegation was headed by Rear Admiral Samantha Wimalathunge. The apprehension of two fishing boats by Sri Lanka involved in drug trafficking based on the information exchange undertaken by Indian Coast Guard invoking the MoU was recognized as an important enabler for pursuing further collaborative response to emerging situations at sea. Continued capacity building of Sri Lanka Coast Guard by Indian Coast Guard, training of Sri Lanka Coast Guard personnel and mutual co-operation in multilateral forums was discussed and agreed by both sides.

 

The four-member delegation of Sri Lanka Coast Guard is paying an official visit to India from August 19 – August 23.