By Staff Reporter
MIRISSA, SRI LANKA — Senior maritime leadership from India and Sri Lanka gathered in the coastal town of Mirissa on Tuesday for the 9th High-Level Meeting between the Indian Coast Guard and the Sri Lanka Coast Guard. The annual dialogue marks a continued effort by both nations to reinforce operational coordination and regional security across the shared waters of the Indian Ocean.
The Indian delegation was led by Director General Paramesh Sivamani, Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, while Rear Admiral Ruwan Rupasena, Director General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, headed the Sri Lankan counterpart.
The bilateral talks focused heavily on immediate operational priorities, including joint responses to marine pollution, real-time coordination during maritime search and rescue operations, and stricter law enforcement along critical trade routes.
Both leaders underscored the need for seamless communication channels to tackle environmental threats, such as oil spills, which pose a constant hazard to the delicate marine ecosystems of the region.
Capacity building and technical assistance were central to the agenda. The delegations discussed expanding joint training modules, exchanging best practices, and building technical infrastructure to ensure both forces can effectively counter transnational maritime crime, illicit trafficking, and emergency contingencies at sea.
Concluding the summit, both Coast Guard chiefs reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a safe, secure, and ecologically protected maritime domain, calling the bilateral framework vital to overall stability in the Indian Ocean Region.
with inputs from agencies.
