India revives The Colombo Security Conclave

 

India revives Indian Ocean security bloc with an eye on China’s growing influence

• The Colombo Security Conclave – including India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives – last week hosted its second meeting in eight months
• The group was formed in 2011 and revived in November last year. It is now poised to bring Bangladesh, Seychelles and Mauritius into the fold

 

As the Pacific Ocean’s strategic rivalries intensify, a new multilateral grouping has emerged in the Indian Ocean, and its ripples are likely to be felt in the South China Sea .

The Colombo Security Conclave – including India ,Sri Lanka and the Maldives – last week hosted its second meeting in eight months, during which the neighbours emphasised “four pillars” of cooperation, including marine security, terrorism, human trafficking and cybersecurity.

The August 4 virtual gathering was held a month after the navies of the three countries conducted their first tabletop exercise over two days, which New Delhi said was symbolic of “the deep trilateral engagement” in the maritime domain between the nations.