SRI LANKA COAST GUARD HOSTS THE 7^TH HIGH-LEVEL MEETING BETWEEN THE INDIAN COAST GUARD AND SRI LANKA COAST GUARD IN COLOMBO

The Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) hosted the 7^th annual High-Level Meeting (HLM) with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on 11 November 2024 in Colombo. This significant event highlighted the longstanding partnership between the two Coast Guards, building on collaborative frameworks established by the Memorandum of Understanding signed in May 2018.

The SLCG delegation was led by Rear Admiral Rajapriya Serasinghe, Director General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, while the Indian delegation was led by Director General S Paramesh, Director General of the Indian Coast Guard. A representative from Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence and the Defence Advisor from the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka were also present, underscoring the high-level commitment from both countries to this collaborative effort.

A comprehensive agenda was discussed, focusing on key areas essential to maintaining a secure and safe maritime environment in the region. Topics ranged from entire maritime safety and security in enhancing interoperability in search and rescue operations, marine environmental protection, and response to maritime pollution incidents. Both sides agreed on the critical need to strengthen capabilities and processes in these areas. The capacity building initiatives were also a highlight, with both agencies agreeing to expand training programmes. The ICG proposed deploying mobile training teams, both ships embarked and independent, to provide hands-on training and share best practices with SLCG personnel. This collaboration aims to enhance the skills and readiness of SLCG personnel, preparing them to effectively respond to evolving maritime security challenges.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to strengthen cooperation in joint operations, exchange of information, maritime environment protection, maritime search and rescue and capacity building programmes. Both agencies agreed that these initiatives would play a crucial role in addressing shared challenges, thereby contributing to regional stability and safety.