About:
- Colombo Security Conclave was formed in 2011 with India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka as its members
- Later, Mauritius also joined the grouping with Bangladesh and Seychelles as Observers.
Aim:
- Maritime Safety and Security
- Countering Terrorism and Radicalization.
- Combating Organised Crime
- Humanitarian Assistance / Disaster Relief
- Cyber Security
Member Countries: India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius
Observer Nations: Bangladesh, Seychelles
Colombo Security Conclave and India
- India has a large coastline along with islands of strategic importance, this makes maritime security an utmost priority for the country.
- Closer cooperation among regional partners will aid India’s efforts to ensure security and stability in the region.
- The members of the grouping like the Maldives have increased their engagements with the QUAD which is again a key security grouping that India is a member of.
- This will help India extend its influence in the region.
- The conclave is mainly driven by India and is seen as India’s outreach to the Indian Ocean to underline regional cooperation and shared security objectives.
- Through CSC, India can restrict China’s growing dominance in the region and reduce the Chinese influence on the member countries.
- The grouping is also in line with India’s vision of “SAGAR: Security and Growth for all in the Region”.
- India has strong bilateral relations with each of the member and observer countries and the grouping will further assist in regional cohesion and collaboration.
Related Links: Indian Ocean Naval Symposium
