00:00On security concerns in the Indian Ocean and discussions during this visit,
00:06see, first of all, I think we have to begin with the stipulation that
00:12the challenges in this area are shared challenges, and we are both affected by them.
00:19And these challenges are not limited to one domain.
00:23They are multi-domain challenges.
00:27There is obviously the challenge of terrorism.
00:29There is the challenge of piracy.
00:32There is the challenge of trafficking, whether it is drug trafficking,
00:39human trafficking, weapons trafficking.
00:42This common area that we live in and the ocean around us is beset with these challenges.
00:53So, one of the innovative constructs that India and Sri Lanka have been engaging on
01:04for the last several years, and on this, actually, cooperation is already well underway
01:10and it is happening at various levels, but it is sought to be formalized under the rubric
01:19of the Colombo security conclave.
01:21Now, this is something for which there is an interim secretariat that is already running
01:29in Colombo.
01:30Colombo happens to be the headquarters of the Colombo security conclave.
01:34And there has been steady progress that has been made in recent years in meetings between the national security advisors
01:45and their deputies of the various countries to develop the agenda, take it forward,
01:51and give this dialogue forum the status of an international organization.
01:58And so, the agreements related to that have all been concluded.
02:03We are now waiting for the conclusion of the final conclusion of the headquarters agreement.
02:11The first Secretary General of the Colombo security conclave by consensus will be an Indian national,
02:21and we are waiting for the approvals, etc., for him to come through to take up that assignment.
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