Indian & Sri Lankan Coast Guards hold 7th Annual High Level Meeting in Colombo to combat transnational maritime crime & promote regional cooperation

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) conducted the 7^thAnnual High Level Meeting in Colombo on November 11, 2024. A four-member ICG delegation led by Director General DG S Paramesh and SLCG delegation headed by Director General Rear Admiral YR Serasinghe participated in the meeting which marked a significant milestone in the collaborative efforts between the two Coast Guards.

The meeting underscores the commitment of both the Coast Guards to jointly address maritime challenges while focusing on a range of regional maritime contemporary issues, including drug trafficking, marine pollution, safety of mariners, adoption of best practices, capacity-building programs and other collaborative arrangements. The outcome of the meeting reiterated enhancing mutual cooperation in addressing these challenges, thereby strengthening the maritime safety and security framework in the region.

This annual meeting follows the institutionalised mechanism as outlined in the MoU signed between both the maritime agencies in May 2018. The 8^thedition of the meeting will be hosted by ICG in 2025.

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SR/KB