The 7th Annual High-Level Meeting (HLM) between the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) was conducted on Monday, 11th November, at Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The meeting is aimed at enhancing the collaborative efforts to combat transnational maritime crime and promote regional cooperation. The annual meeting is as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between both maritime agencies in May 2018.

The four member ICG delegation is led by Director General S. Paramesh, Chief of the Indian Coast Guard, while the SLCG side is led by Rear Admiral YR Serasinghe, Director General, Sri Lanka Coast Guard.&nbsp;

The meeting underscores the commitment of both the Coast Guards to jointly address a plethora of maritime challenges, including drug trafficking, marine pollution, safety of mariners, adoption of best practices, capacity-building programmes and other collaborative arrangements.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-coast-guard-navy-assets-intensify-search-for-helicopter-captain-756071">Also read:&nbsp;Indian Coast Guard and Navy assets intensify search for helicopter captain</a>

The outcome of the meeting reiterates enhancing cooperation in addressing these challenges, thereby strengthening the maritime safety and security framework in the region. The 8th annual ICG-SLCG meeting will be hosted by Indian Coast Guard in the year 2025.

The meeting between the Coast Guard leadership comes barely a week after the 34th India and Sri Lanka Navy &amp; Coast Guard International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) meeting, co-chaired by Rear Admiral Ravi Kumar Dhingra, Flag Officer Commanding Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (FOTNA) &amp; Rear Admiral SJ Kumara, Commander North Central Naval Area, Sri Lanka Navy. This meeting was held onboard the Sri Lankan Naval Ship SLNS Vijayabahu in Palk Bay on 6th November 2024.&nbsp;

Representatives from both the sides held discussions with special focus on maritime security in Palk Bay &amp; Gulf of Mannar, safety of fishermen, and ways to enhance fishermen’s response to real-time communications.

Watch |&nbsp;Indian Coast Guard organises 'Day at Sea' showcases operational readiness &amp; capabilities

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It is notable that the fishermen issue remains a sore point in India-Sri Lanka ties, with fishers from each side crossing over into the other's waters. This is a longstanding and complex problem that involves fishing rights and territory in the narrow Palk Strait, the water body that separates the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the Northern part of the island nation Sri Lanka.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
On Sunday, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 23 Indian fishermen from Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, and detained their three trawlers for illegally fishing in Sri Lankan waters. More than 120 Indian fishermen and 190 boats remain in Sri Lankan custody. Notably, while campaigning for the upcoming Parliamentary polls, Lankan President AK Dissanayake vowed to protect the rights and marine resources of Northern Sri Lankan fishermen, most of whom belong to the minority Sri Lankan Tamil Community.&nbsp;

Speaking at the political event in Jaffna, the President accused Indian fishermen of destroying the marine resources that belonged to the Tamil-populated Northern region of Sri Lanka.&nbsp;

The 7th Annual High-Level Meeting (HLM) between the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) was conducted on Monday, 11th November, at Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The 7th Annual High-Level Meeting (HLM) between the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) was conducted on Monday, 11th November, at Colombo, Sri Lanka. The meeting is aimed at enhancing the collaborative efforts to combat transnational maritime crime and promote regional cooperation. The annual meeting is as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between both maritime agencies in May 2018. The four member ICG delegation is led by Director General S. Paramesh, Chief of the Indian Coast Guard, while the SLCG side is led by Rear Admiral YR Serasinghe, Director General, Sri Lanka Coast Guard. The meeting underscores the commitment of both the Coast Guards to jointly address a plethora of maritime challenges, including drug trafficking, marine pollution, safety of mariners, adoption of best practices, capacity-building programmes and other collaborative arrangements. Also read: Indian Coast Guard and Navy assets intensify search for helicopter captain The outcome of the meeting reiterates enhancing cooperation in addressing these challenges, thereby strengthening the maritime safety and security framework in the region. The 8th annual ICG-SLCG meeting will be hosted by Indian Coast Guard in the year 2025. The meeting between the Coast Guard leadership comes barely a week after the 34th India and Sri Lanka Navy & Coast Guard International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) meeting, co-chaired by Rear Admiral Ravi Kumar Dhingra, Flag Officer Commanding Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (FOTNA) & Rear Admiral SJ Kumara, Commander North Central Naval Area, Sri Lanka Navy. This meeting was held onboard the Sri Lankan Naval Ship SLNS Vijayabahu in Palk Bay on 6th November 2024. Representatives from both the sides held discussions with special focus on maritime security in Palk Bay & Gulf of Mannar, safety of fishermen, and ways to enhance fishermen’s response to real-time communications. Watch | Indian Coast Guard organises 'Day at Sea' showcases operational readiness & capabilities × It is notable that the fishermen issue remains a sore point in India-Sri Lanka ties, with fishers from each side crossing over into the other's waters. This is a longstanding and complex problem that involves fishing rights and territory in the narrow Palk Strait, the water body that separates the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the Northern part of the island nation Sri Lanka. On Sunday, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 23 Indian fishermen from Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, and detained their three trawlers for illegally fishing in Sri Lankan waters. More than 120 Indian fishermen and 190 boats remain in Sri Lankan custody. Notably, while campaigning for the upcoming Parliamentary polls, Lankan President AK Dissanayake vowed to protect the rights and marine resources of Northern Sri Lankan fishermen, most of whom belong to the minority Sri Lankan Tamil Community. Speaking at the political event in Jaffna, the President accused Indian fishermen of destroying the marine resources that belonged to the Tamil-populated Northern region of Sri Lanka.

Indian and Sri Lankan Coast Guards conduct 7th high-level meet, to combat transnational maritime crime

Two boats carrying banned drugs from Pakistani coast city Karachi to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-to-revive-suspended-visa-on-arrival-programme-for-39-countries-excludes-india-china-234835">Sri Lanka</a> were intercepted by Sri Lankan Coast guards on Wednesday.

The operation was successfully executed based on the inputs by Indian security agencies.

The successful capture comes after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) shared a specific input with information about two boats carrying banned drugs from Karachi to Sri Lanka.

The input which was shared with Indian authorities by NCB was consecutively forwarded to concerned Sri Lankan agencies following which a timely intervention by coast guards prevented the illegal trade.

According to Indian intelligence agencies, this drug business is a major source of income for Pakistan ISI and they use this in terror funding.

The funds through such trade are also used to fund extremist ideology in Sri Lanka.

Indian security agencies maintain that the sea route is safest for drug business and boats and ships carry these drugs on a regular basis.

Coast Guards of India and Sri Lanka work closely in areas of coastal security and prevention of illegal activities along their maritime boundary.&nbsp;

Two boats carrying banned drugs from Pakistani coast city Karachi to Sri Lanka were intercepted by Sri Lankan Coast guards on Wednesday. The operation was successfully executed based on the inputs by Indian security agencies.

Two boats carrying banned drugs from Pakistani coast city Karachi to Sri Lanka were intercepted by Sri Lankan Coast guards on Wednesday. The operation was successfully executed based on the inputs by Indian security agencies. The successful capture comes after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) shared a specific input with information about two boats carrying banned drugs from Karachi to Sri Lanka. The input which was shared with Indian authorities by NCB was consecutively forwarded to concerned Sri Lankan agencies following which a timely intervention by coast guards prevented the illegal trade. According to Indian intelligence agencies, this drug business is a major source of income for Pakistan ISI and they use this in terror funding. The funds through such trade are also used to fund extremist ideology in Sri Lanka. Indian security agencies maintain that the sea route is safest for drug business and boats and ships carry these drugs on a regular basis. Coast Guards of India and Sri Lanka work closely in areas of coastal security and prevention of illegal activities along their maritime boundary.

Alerted by Indian agencies, Sri Lankan coast guard intercepts boats carrying drugs from Karachi

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Indian and Sri Lankan Coast Guards conduct 7th high-level meet, to combat transnational maritime crime

Alerted by Indian agencies, Sri Lankan coast guard intercepts boats carrying drugs from Karachi