The 7th Meeting of the National Security Advisors (NSAs) of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on Thursday.
NSA Ajit Doval will host his colleagues from Bangladesh, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, among other member states. Malaysia has been invited as a guest, and the Seychelles will take part as an observer state.
According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), “the CSC was formed to promote closer cooperation between Member States on vital matters of security and to strengthen partnership for enhancing regional security in the Indian Ocean region.”
According to the ministry, the 7th Meeting of the NSAs will provide an opportunity for participants to review the activities under the various pillars of cooperation, such as Maritime Safety and Security; Countering Terrorism and Radicalization; Combating Transnational Organized Crime; Cyber Security and Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief; and to discuss the Roadmap and Action Plan for 2026.
According to media sources in Dhaka, earlier on Wednesday, Bangladesh’s National Security Advisor (NSA), Khalilur Rahman, paid a visit to his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, during a lengthy discussion in New Delhi.
The meeting takes place in the midst of Dhaka’s reiterated demand that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina be extradited after Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) sentenced her to death earlier this week.
The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi posted on X: “Today in Delhi, the National Security Advisor of India, Mr. Ajit Doval, and his team met with the Bangladeshi delegation to the Seventh NSA-level Meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC), led by the National Security Advisor, Dr. Khalilur Rahman. They talked about important bilateral problems and the activities of CSC. Rahman asked Doval to come to Bangladesh whenever it would be convenient for him.
The NSAs of CSC met for the sixth time in December 2023 in Mauritius, and in August 2024, member states reconvened in Sri Lanka for the Signing Ceremony for the CSC’s Founding Documents.
Additionally, the CSC nations’ Deputy National Security Advisers (DNSAs) have been holding frequent meetings. In July 2024, DNSAs convened virtually for the last time.
The MEA claims that India has hosted several events in recent years, such as the First CSC Oceanographers and Hydrographers Conference, where member and observer states exchanged best practices and knowledge about oceanography and hydrography and talked about cooperative approaches to address regional ocean-related challenges.
Additionally, India hosted the third edition of the Maritime Law Workshop and the inaugural Coastal Security Conference, which concentrated on the larger role and duties of the Coast Guards of Member and Observer States in guaranteeing security of coastlines and beyond.
India also sponsored a number of training courses on drug law enforcement, organized crime, trafficking prevention, and terrorism investigations.