The seventh National Security Advisor-level meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave convened on 20 November 2025 at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi, India, bringing together senior security officials from across the Indian Ocean region. The session was formally opened by the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India, Mr Ajit Doval KC, who chaired discussions focused on deepening collaboration among participating states on shared security priorities.
This year’s meeting marked a significant expansion of the Colombo Security Conclave’s membership. In addition to the founding member states, India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and the Maldives, the former observer states, Bangladesh and Seychelles, took part and were inducted as full members, reflecting the grouping’s growing importance as a platform for regional security cooperation. Malaysia also joined the proceedings as a guest, underlining wider international interest in structured dialogue on security issues in the Indian Ocean.
The Maldivian delegation to the New Delhi meeting was led by the National Security Advisor, His Excellency Ibrahim Latheef DC (retd.), Lt Col (retd.), who represented the Maldives at the high-level discussions. He was accompanied by Deputy National Security Advisor Hamid Shafeeg MG (retd.) and the High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives to India, Her Excellency Aishath Azeema. Together, the delegation engaged counterparts from member and partner countries on areas of mutual concern, reinforcing the Maldives’ commitment to active participation in regional security frameworks.
The Colombo Security Conclave serves as a cooperative platform to address international threats and challenges collectively, with a focus on enhancing stability and resilience across the Indian Ocean region. Under the framework of the Conclave, member states have agreed to cooperate across several defined pillars: maritime security and safety; counterterrorism and prevention of radicalisation; combatting trafficking and transnational organised crime; cybersecurity and the protection of critical infrastructures; and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Discussions at the seventh meeting reiterated the importance of these pillars and explored practical avenues to translate them into joint initiatives, capacity-building programmes and information-sharing mechanisms.
On the sidelines of the Conclave, the Indian National Security Advisor held a separate meeting with the Maldivian delegation to review and discuss prospects for strengthening bilateral security cooperation. The talks covered potential areas of capacity building, including institutional strengthening, training and technical support designed to enhance the Maldives’ capabilities in line with the Conclave’s priority areas. The engagement underscored both countries’ shared interest in a secure and stable Indian Ocean environment and highlighted the role of structured high-level dialogue in advancing long-term security partnerships.
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