Ajit Doval is scheduled to review the deliberations of the Colombo Security Conference, a regional initiative that began as a trilateral effort between India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. | Photo Credit: PTI
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit K. Doval arrived in Colombo on Thursday (August 29, 2024) morning, official sources said. the hinduHe is coming to Colombo to take further action on the Colombo Security Conference initiative. He is also scheduled to meet political leaders in Colombo.
There is no official statement yet about Mr Doval’s visit. The visit comes nearly three weeks before Sri Lanka’s presidential election on September 21. Colombo-based political sources from various political parties have confirmed that he has been invited for a meeting with the top Indian official.
During his visit, Mr Doval is scheduled to review the deliberations of the Colombo Security Conference (CSC), a regional initiative that began as a trilateral effort between India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. It has since expanded to include Mauritius and Bangladesh as members and Seychelles as an observer.
“The sixth NSA-level meeting was hosted by Mauritius in December 2023 and the next meeting of security chiefs will be held in India later this year,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement last month.
On July 10, the eighth Deputy NSA-level meeting of the CSC was held virtually. India, Mauritius, Maldives and Sri Lanka welcomed Bangladesh as the fifth member of the group formed to counter China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean region. Seychelles participated as an observer.