Maldives, Sri Lanka, India sign maritime security agreement

The Maldives, Sri Lanka and India have signed an agreement on maritime cooperation to secure sea routes in the Indian Ocean region.

The Times of India has reported that the agreement was signed on Monday at the end of the Meeting on Trilateral Cooperation on Maritime Security, by Maldives’ Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim, Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Indian National Security Advisor Shivshanker Menon.

“At the conclusion of the meeting an outcome document detailing specific areas of cooperation in the maritime security sphere was signed,” said a statement from Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence, reported the Times of India.

The statement further said that the agreement was signed following several senior official and technical level consultations among the three nations.

“The agreement was reached by all on the importance of raising the maritime cooperation between the three countries in the current context of maritime security environment in the Indian Ocean region,” the statement said.