NSA Ajit Doval meets top Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh officials ahead of BIMSTEC NSAs conference
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "NSA Ajit Doval meets top Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh officials ahead of BIMSTEC NSAs conference")
NSA Ajit Doval meets Bangladesh Defence Adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. AKM Shamsul Islam (left) and Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd.) (right) on the sidelines of the 5th BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs' Meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday. Photograph: (WION)
NSA Ajit Doval held bilateral talks with senior officials from Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to strengthen cooperation on maritime security, intelligence sharing and counter terrorism ahead of the BIMSTEC NSAs conference.
India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval has held a series of high-level bilateral meetings with senior officials from Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, as New Delhi seeks to bolster regional cooperation on maritime security, intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism ahead of the BIMSTEC NSAs meet on Thursday.
The discussions come at a time of heightened focus on stability in the Bay of Bengal region, where traditional and non-traditional security challenges, from insurgencies to narcotics trafficking and climate impacts, are testing governments.
The first bilateral meeting of the day for NSA Doval was with Myanmar's National Security Adviser U Tin Aung San. The two reviewed bilateral security cooperation and exchanged assessments on regional stability. The talks are particularly significant given the volatile situation in parts of Myanmar, including areas bordering India's north-eastern states. New Delhi has long expressed concerns over cross-border insurgent movements and the flow of narcotics by elements taking advantage of the situation in the country.
With Thailand, Mr Doval engaged with Chatchai Bangchuad, Secretary General of the National Security Council. Both sides explored ways to deepen their strategic partnership. Topics included enhanced intelligence sharing, law enforcement collaboration, connectivity projects and the possible creation of new institutional mechanisms for security coordination.
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During talks with Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) & Indian NSA, the key focus was on maritime issues. With the situation in the Indian Ocean volatile due to the war in West Asia, both India, & Sri Lanka have regularly exchanged notes. Mr Doval also met Brigadier General (Retd) Dr AKM Shamsul Islam, Defence Adviser to Bangladesh's Prime Minister. No detailed readout of their discussion was released immediately.
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The meetings pave the way for the BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs' conclave that brings together the group's seven members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The forum is designed to coordinate responses to terrorism, cyber security threats, climate-related challenges and other non-traditional security issues.
Often described as a natural bridge between South and Southeast Asia, BIMSTEC has gained renewed prominence in recent years. The grouping offers an alternative platform for cooperation as SAARC, the wider South Asian body, has remained largely stalled due to Pakistan's support for cross-border terrorism.
