Colombo Security Conclave

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About Colombo Security Conclave(CSC)-

• The conference was one of the engagement activities identified in the Colombo Security Conclave’s Roadmap for Cooperation and Activities for 2022-23 agreed by member countries at the 5th NSA level Meeting held in Maldives on 9-10 March 2022.
• Panellists and participants from India, Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh participated in the virtual conference.
• Participants discussed the various challenges related to terrorism in their respective countries and shared experiences on prosecution of terrorism cases, strategies to deal with foreign fighters and countering the misuse of internet and social media. 
• They emphasised on the need for closer cooperation and coordination among member and observer countries of the Colombo Security Conclave for effective investigation and prosecution of terrorism and radicalisation related cases.
• Participants agreed to identify specific areas to take forward the cooperation on countering terrorism and radicalisation under the Colombo Security Conclave. 
• The conclave focused on maritime safety and security, terrorism and radicalization, cybersecurity, and humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
• It was formed in 2011 as a trilateral maritime security grouping of India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and since then is expanding. 
• It welcomed Mauritius as a fourth member  in its recent meeting in March 2022.
• 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 cooperation 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.
• In November 2021, 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.

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